NEW DELHI, March 23 -- Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir, the hero of 2007 T20 World Cup and ICC World Cup-2011, began his second innings as a politician as he donned the saffron colour by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday. Gambhir's entry is being seen as a strong contender for the New Delhi parliamentary seat.

Diminutive southpaw Gambhir who played 58 Test Matches, 147 One-Day- Internationals and 37 T20s for India and captained Kolkata Night Riders and Delhi Daredevils in India Premier League, has been quite vocal after his retirement from international cricket.

"I have done whatever I could for cricket, and this is a platform for me to do something more for the country," he said, adding that he has been influenc...