Gautam Gambhir

At one point, when I didn't make the 2007 World Cup squad, I was very, very frustrated. Then I became very hard on myself. Whenever I used to go to the nets, or when I trained in the gym, I was very hard on myself. I couldn't sleep; I used to think a lot. Very, very desperate to make a comeback.

If a youngster can come up to me and share his problems or share his experiences or share something that he does off cricket, that can obviously help you build a better relation with one-on-one, and that can help you captain him on the cricket field.

I think you need to be a leader, not a captain. You may have seen a lot of captains in this country, but the most important thing is to be a leader.

I believe in backing players and helping them out with their game.

I am a great believer that a captain is as good as his team.

I can bat in the morning, afternoon, evening, night, on ice, desert, wherever and whenever. It is almost nirvana for me. It takes me away from the stresses of life.

To me, form is not about scoring runs but how you feel about your game. Sometimes the runs are not there, but you know you are batting well, and that is good form for me.

Being an impatient guy, even off the field, I would always look to score runs and score them quickly. Sometimes I panic if runs are not coming.

I grew up playing on unprepared surfaces where your wicket depended on quickly adapting to the bounce. As a kid, I could never differentiate off-spin from leg-spin. All I looked to do was to try to hit the ball before it pitched.

I play for India, I play for the 100 million people of my country.

Whatever good or bad is said by former cricketers is considered gospel. Our media should not blow out of proportion the opinion of former cricketers.

I've always maintained that the problem in India is that we only give credit to big contributions.

When I'm playing a team sport, it's not about one individual, it's about everyone, from me to the other 23 people who were there, to all the support staff who've worked very hard behind the scenes.

I think Delhiites know how to party, but Kolkata has people who know how to celebrate. I think that's the main difference.

When I go on to the field, it is also like my office. I have to give my 100 per cent, and I have to be really committed to it. It's all about winning.

My mood depends on how I treat my toothbrushes. Being a skipper is a strenuous job, and when you are going through a rough phase, obviously you start taking out your frustration. You can't take it out on anyone: you can't take it out on your teammates or your wife. The only person that is left is your toothbrush.

I think only a batsman will be able to tell you about the goose bumps he gets after hitting a perfect cover drive. I'm one of them.

Yes, I'm the same grumpy Gautam who smiles very less on the field. I go very quiet before going into the match. I guess it works for me, though my team-mates keep telling me it is just a game.

A bowler will always say it's a batsman's game.

I am a very strong believer in one thing. The more physically fit you are, the more mentally fit you get.