Gautam Gambhir is an Indian opening batsman.Gambhir had been a prolific run-scorer in domestic cricket with an average of over 50 but his two successive double-hundreds in 2002 made him a strong contender for India's opening slot.On July 2009, for a period of ten days he was the number one ranked batsman in ICC Test rankings.

Gautam Gambhir was India's top run scorer in the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa with 227 runs at an average of 37.83, including three half-centuries which included a crucial 75-run knock off 54 balls against Pakistan in the final. Gambhir was also the leading run-scorer in the last Tri-Series in Australia that India won. Gambhir's back-to-back centuries against Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy in 2008 have for some time cemented his place in the Indian team. His knock of 206 that came at his home ground the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, is the highest by any left-handed opener against Australia in Test cricket.

On November 24, 2009, Gambhir became only the third Indian batsman after Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid to score centuries in four consecutive Test matches. He achieved the feat on the first day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Kanpur.

In the first edition of the IPL, Gambhir scored 534 runs in the 14 matches that he played, with a highest score of 86, at an average of 41.08 and a strike rate of 139.43. He smashed 8 sixes and 67 fours in the tournament, in addition to 2 catches.

Gambhir was not in good form in the second edition of the IPL and led Delhi Daredevils in some matches that Sehwag missed due to a finger injury. Gambhir hit an unbeaten 71 in a league match against the Kolkata Knight Riders in Durban to take his team to the top of the table. In the semi-final of the tournament against Deccan Chargers, Gambhir was out for a duck in the first over itself.

On January 20, 2010, Gambhir became the first Indian batsman, fourth in the world, to hit centuries in five consecutive Tests.