Gautam Gambhir made a rare IPL appearance on Thursday as the India head coach was spotted at the clash between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Gambhir was seen sitting next to Indian selector RP Singh during the match, with the two engaged in a lengthy discussion at various stages of the game.
The India head coach was also spotted chatting with BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla in the stands.
It was the first time Gambhir was seen at an IPL match since his successful mentoring stint with KKR in IPL 2024, where he guided the franchise to the title before eventually taking over as India’s head coach later that year.
DC vs KKR, IPL 2026: SCORECARD | UPDATE
And honestly, the place almost seemed appropriate.
Gambhir’s IPL story began in Delhi when the franchise was still called Delhi Daredevils. After building his legacy with KKR, winning two IPL titles as captain and another as a mentor, Gambhir returned to Delhi for one final IPL season in 2018 before retiring from all forms of cricket later that year.
VIDEO | Two-time IPL winning former captain and 2024 IPL mentor Gautam Gambhir along with his KKR family took time out to watch his former franchise Kolkata Knight Riders play against his hometown franchise Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/6iqQglItlu— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 8, 2026
WHY GAMBHIR ATTENDED DC vs KKR?
Gambhir’s visit has not been officially confirmed, but with India’s busy international calendar looming, many in the cricket circuit believe that India’s head coach and selector RP Singh may have been watching the match partly from a scouting perspective as well.
India still have a tough schedule in 2026 across formats.
The team is set to tour Sri Lanka and New Zealand for Tests later this year, with home series against the West Indies and Sri Lanka also on the schedule.
The much-anticipated five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia is also scheduled to begin in January 2027.
With several young Indian players impressing in IPL 2026, the presence of Gambhir and RP Singh together has naturally created speculation around selection discussions and player tracking.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
08 May 2026 21:17 IST
