‘He called me Fixer & Deshdrohi’ – Sreesanth drops bombshell on Gautam Gambhir

Former India pacer S Sreesanth has once again opened up about his heated exchange with current India head coach Gautam Gambhir during a Legends League Cricket (LLC) match in December 2023. The former fast bowler has now made fresh allegations, claiming that Gambhir not only called him a “fixer” but also labelled him a “Deshdrohi” during the on-field confrontation.

The incident had grabbed headlines when Sreesanth first alleged that Gambhir had used the term “fixer” against him during the LLC clash. Speaking recently in an interview, the Kerala-born cricketer provided more details about what transpired between the two former India teammates.

According to Sreesanth, the altercation began after he bowled a bouncer to Gambhir during the match. Recalling the sequence of events, the 42-year-old explained that Gambhir initially played an aggressive stroke before tensions escalated between the duo.

“Gauti (Gambhir) stepped out on the first ball and flicked it because he knows my (game), he’s a very good cricketer. I don’t know about the coaching part, but he’s a very good cricketer. So, I bowled the bouncer,” Sreesanth said, narrating his experience in an interview on Lallantop.

Sreesanth further alleged that Gambhir responded with verbal abuse and made remarks that crossed the line.

“And you know what he said? ‘I own you’. It was clear, he abused me. What he shouldn’t have said, he did, he called me a ‘fixer’,” Sreesanth elaborated.

The former India pacer claimed that he attempted to diffuse the situation by checking on Gambhir before the exchange became more intense.

“I leaned forward and asked him, ‘Gauti bhai, are you okay?’ Because I was huge, it looked like I would hit him. Then he was doing ‘F-F’ (using the F-word). Then he again said ‘fixer’, ‘Deshdrohi’,” he further claimed.

Interestingly, Gambhir and Sreesanth were part of two of India’s most memorable triumphs, featuring together in the squads that won the inaugural T20 World Cup 2007 and the ODI World Cup in 2011. However, relations between the two former teammates appear to have deteriorated significantly since their playing days.

The alleged “fixer” remark is believed to be linked to Sreesanth’s involvement in the IPL 2013 spot-fixing controversy. The pacer was initially handed a life ban by the BCCI before it was later reduced to seven years, allowing him to return to competitive cricket in 2020.

Meanwhile, Gambhir has enjoyed considerable success in his coaching career. Since taking charge as India’s head coach, the former opener has guided the Men in Blue to victories in the ICC Champions Trophy and Asia Cup in 2025, followed by a T20 World Cup triumph more recently.