Interview Times 
New Delhi: Indian cricketer turned Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Gautam Gambhir has declared to stay away from active politics. The former cricketer, who is the MP from East Delhi, took to X to express his desire to focus on his cricket commitments rather than politics.
In a post on X, he wrote, “I have requested Hon’ble Party President JP Nadda ji to relieve me of my political duties so that I can focus on my upcoming cricket commitments. I sincerely thank Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi for giving me the opportunity to serve the people. Jai Hind.”
Ganbhir’s decision to step away politics comes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections which are likely to be held in the month of April and May. Gambhir joined the BJP in March 2019 and has since emerged as a prominent figure for the party in Delhi. He successfully contested and secured victory in the East Delhi seat during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, winning by a significant margin of 6,95,109 votes.
Gautam Gambhir set to return to KKR:
Gambhir is all set to return to Kolkata Knight Riders for the first time since he left the franchise ahead of IPL 2018. He was appointed as the new mentor of the two-time champions last year and was also part of KKR’s think tank at the IPL 2024 player auction in Dubai. Gambhir remains the only captain in KKR’s history to have won an IPL trophy for the franchise.
He served as a mentor for the Lucknow Super Giants for two seasons in 2022 and 2023, juggling between his political career and his cricketing commitments. Lucknow Super Giants made it to the playoffs in both seasons under KL Rahul’s captaincy and Gambhir’s guidance. The former India cricketer will now join hands with KKR head coach Chandrakant Pandit as he aims to inspire KKR to glory once again in the IPL.
