Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Who is best for Gautam Gambhir?

Gautam Gambhir became the face of a meme when he was asked which football player he preferred — Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

The internet was taken aback by his choice of Marcus Rashford, which sparked a wave of "odd one out" jokes that mocked Gambhir's uncommon selection, according to News18.

A question concerning the memes was posed to Gambhir on the KKR Knights Dugout Podcast.

This is what he said: “If you are asking me about my favourite player, then don’t give me options. They could have asked me Messi or Ronaldo – who’s a better player? Then I might have answered. But they asked me who my favourite player was. That’s why I answered Marcus Rashford.”

As captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2012 and 2014, Gambhir is currently the team's mentor for the 2024 Indian Premier League.

When asked about his theory of winning the IPL, Gambhir said: “It’s not the most talented team that goes on to win the IPL. It’s the most courageous team, that’s willing to fight till the last drop of blood, will go on to win the IPL.”

Known for his stern or occasionally animated and angry facial expressions, Gambhir, who is a regular fixture in the KKR dugout, stated that fans don't attend the stadium to watch him smile: “People don’t come to watch me smile, People come to see KKR win.”