Gautam Gambhir, current head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team, has petitioned the Delhi High Court, filing a civil suit which takes action against a series of online entities and individuals who have been accused of misrepresenting his image on the internet.
Gambhir has alleged misuse of identity via deepfakes and AI-generated content, and seeks INR 2.5 crore in damages as well as ‘comprehensive protection of his personality and publicity rights’.
Gambhir also targeted unauthorised merchandising using his publicity, and the civil suit in the Delhi HC targets 16 defendants which include several social media users mentioned by name in the statement. Gambhir also files the case against social media platforms such as Meta, X, and Google, plus e-commerce websites like Flipkart and Amazon.
Gambhir’s legal team also filed an ex-parte ad-interim injunction against the AI-generated and fabricated content available on the internet – that is to say, an emergency measure requesting the forced takedown of such videos, designed to mitigate any damages that they might cause in the period leading up to an official hearing.
In quotes within the statement, Gambhir is cited as saying: “My identity — my name, my face, my voice — has been weaponised by anonymous accounts to spread misinformation and generate revenue at my expense. This is not a matter of personal hurt; it is a matter of law, dignity, and the protection every public figure deserves in the age of artificial intelligence.”
‘Coordinated campaign’ alleged by Gambhir
Gambhir’s legal team further makes mention of a ‘coordinated campaign’ against the Indian head coach, mentioning late 2025 beginning the uptick of impersonations and illegal imitations online. In particular, the civil suit seems to target fabricated and AI creations of Gambhir, with two being mentioned by name in particular – one being a fabricated video of Gambhir announcing his resignation, and another of him passing comments against certain Indian team members.
The statement also cites similar cases argued by Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, and Sunil Gavaskar, each of whom are used as examples ‘that firmly establish personality rights as proprietary, enforceable rights’, and therefore as examples for Gambhir’s legal team to take down any disparaging and manufactured content targeting him online.
Gambhir’s likeness and public image continue to grow – following his retirement from the sport, he took up a governmental role, before making the pivot back to coaching. Having joined India as coach in 2024, Gambhir remains one of the most prominent figures in Indian cricket, and protecting his own image rights in a period of change on the internet remains his focus.
