An escalating verbal spat between former India cricketers S Sreesanth and Gautam Gambhir triggered an epic meme fest on social media.

 

With the two players continuously throwing verbal volleys at each other, netizens are having a gala time, sharing hilarious reactions about their war of words on X.

 

During a Legends League Cricket clash in Surat on Wednesday, S Sreesanth and Gautam Gambhir were engaged in a bitter exchange. Videos showed the two even charged at each other before the umpires intervened to control the situation.

 

In video footage making the rounds on X, the former India teammates looked visibly upset before giving a long stare to one another after the Delhi-born cricketer smashed S Sreesanth for boundaries and sixes in an over.

 

Later, in a video posted on his Instagram page, S Sreesanth revealed that Gautam Gambhir called him a fixer.

 

“I have not used a single bad word or used a single abusive word to him. I only said, “What are you saying? What are you saying?” In fact, I kept laughing in a sarcastic way because he kept calling me “Fixer, fixer, you are a fixer, F*** off fixer”. This is the language that was used.” Sreesanth said in an Instagram post. “When they were trying to control him, he kept on calling me fixer,” the former India fast bowler said.

 

In a previous social media post, S Sreesanth claimed he was not responsible for the spat.

 

“I am not at all at fault here. I just wanted to clear the air straight away. What Mr Gauti has done, sooner or later all of you will get to know. The words which he used and the things he said on a cricket field, live, is not acceptable. My family, my state, everybody has gone through so much. I fought that battle with all your support. Now people want to down me for no reason. Even when my team is doing well, he said things he shouldn't have said. I will surely let you know what he said,” he noted.

 

“What's the point of representing people if you don't respect your own colleagues? Even in live broadcasting when he is asked about Virat, he never speaks about him, he speaks about something else. I don't want to go further in detail. Just want to say I am very hurt and my family is hurt and my dear ones are hurt. And the way he said things…. Just want to I haven't used a single bad word or a single abuse, nothing. He just kept on saying words which he always does,” he added.

 

After S Sreesanth's revelations, his wife, Bhuvneshwari Sreesanth, also had some harsh words for Gautam Gambhir.

 

“It is so shocking to hear from Sree that a player who has played for India with him for many years can stoop to this level. Even after so many years of retirement from Active cricket. After all upbringing matters a lot and it shows up when these kind of behaviour comes up on ground. Shocking truly shocking,” Bhuvneshwari Sreesanth wrote on Instagram.

 

Despite S Sreesanth's shocking allegations, Gautam Gambhir was yet to address his accusations.

 

However, the current parliamentarian from East Delhi did make a cryptic post on Twitter, which eventually went viral on the microblogging platform.

 

“Smile when the world is all about attention!” he wrote on the popular messaging app.

 

Gautam Gambhir's “smile” post broke the internet, receiving a flurry of reactions from fans and his former India teammates.

 

“Smile is the best answer brother,” ex-India pacer Irfan Pathan said in response to the former left-handed opener's tweet.

 

On the other hand, Indian cricket admirers mentioned that Gautam Gambhir is always in the news for his controversial comments or attitude.

 

“Don't know who is at fault but you are centre of controversy every month, sometimes it's about your statement on public platform and sometimes it's about your behaviour on cricket field,” a fan opined.

 

“People throw stones at you and you convert them into milestone,” a second observed.

 

“Absolutely love that smile!!” a third remarked.

 

“Well done, Gauti. The same fixer appreciating you and now putting on a drama for some recognition,” a fourth underlined.

 

“Your smile is a refreshing spotlight and best answer. Keep spreading those good vibes,” a fifth suggested.

 

For the unversed, Gambhir's alleged usage of the phrase “fixer” to describe S Sreesanth is due to his involvement in the ugly Indian Premier League spot-fixing episode in 2013.

 

Subsequently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) banned him from all forms of the sport. Following a lengthy court battle, the Indian Cricket Board allowed him to return to action in 2021.