Gautam Gambhir

“You don't want to end up with a huge tally of runs after eight games but with your team out of contention.”

“When I got dropped for the World Cup, there were times I didn't want to play anymore. I didn't want to practise. I couldn't motivate myself. Then I said, 'Look what are the options?' Cricket is the only option. Whether I play happily or sadly, it's still all I have. There are not a lot of things I am good at.”

“I have always maintained that bowlers win you a cricket match whatever the format.”

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

“When I am captaining a side, the way I play would be the way my team plays as well. If I will be joking around all the time, I wouldn't expect people to take me seriously.”

“Most of my diet is low on carbohydrates and fats.”

“When you come out of your comfort zone, you can express yourself in front of the whole world, and there was no better stage to express yourself as a batsman and as a leader than IPL.”

“In India, you need to look intense to be classified a good cricketing brain.”

“Every relation forms its own defined and non-defined rules.”

“I want to do whatever will make my team win.”

“People make a mistake thinking that two people with identical mindset gel well.”

“I don't enjoy cricket. I just take it as a priority... something that I have to do.”

“I am a completely different person off the field, and my friends and family can vouch for that.”

“Things happen on the field. It has happened between me and other players, but we always left it out there.”

“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.”

“You need different skills to do well in 50-overs cricket. You need completely different skills to do well in Test cricket. You need different skills to do well in T20 cricket. It is not the same.”

“Winning is something that makes people happy.”

“I do not usually follow a rigid fitness regimen, and most of it depends upon what goals I have in my mind.”

“I'm aggressive on the field and a team-man to the core.”

“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.”