"India needs to come out of this hero worship" - Gautam Gambhir urges the nation to stop idolizing individuals 

Former India opening batter Gautam Gambhir has urged the nation's masses to stop idolizing individuals, particularly when it comes to cricket. The left-handed batter believes that Indian cricket needs to be put above individuals for the collective benefit of the nation.

Indian fanbase is arguably second to none in the global cricket landscape. From full-house stadiums to expressing their opinions on social media, ardent Indian fans are never lacking in terms of effort but tend to cross the line once in a while.

The blindsided idolization often leads to raging debates and a plethora of other issues which often steal the limelight.

Blaming the ongoing hero worship culture in the country down to two primary reasons, Gambhir said in an idea exchange with the Indian Express:

"India needs to come out of this hero worship. Whether it’s Indian cricket, whether it’s politics, whether it’s Delhi cricket. We have to stop worshipping heroes. The only thing that we need to worship is Indian cricket, or for that matter Delhi or India."

Gambhir continued:

"Who created that? It is created by two things. First, by social media followers, which is probably the fakest thing in this country. Second, by the media and the broadcasters."

The stalwarts of the current Indian team have a huge fan following. Fans often welcome posts from their idols on social media, which is an opportunity to get a glimpse into their world.

"No one even bothered to speak about him" - Gautam Gambhir on Bhuvneshwar Kumar's achievement getting shunned in comparison to Virat Kohli

India's recent contest against Afghanistan in the Super 4s stage of the Asia Cup was a memorable one.

Virat Kohli managed to notch his highly anticipated 71st international hundred while Bhuvneshwar Kumar recorded his best T20I figures of 5-4 in a mammoth 101-run win.

Gambhir, however, felt that the right-arm pacer's achievement was barely appreciated since all of the spotlight was on Kohli. He elaborated:

“When Kohli got a 100 and there was this young guy from a small town of Meerut [Bhuvneshwar Kumar], who also managed to get five wickets, no one even bothered to speak about him.

"This was so unfortunate. I was the only one, during that commentary stint, who said that."

Bhuvneshwar joined a rare-list of bowlers to have picked two five-wicket hauls in T20I cricket with his impressive spell against Afghanistan.

He is also among four Indian bowlers to record a five-wicket haul in T20Is alongside the likes of Deepak Chahar, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav.

Is hero worship a pressing concern in India? Let us know what you think.