Fresh after winning the T20 World Cup 2026 at home a week ago, India men's cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir has moved to Delhi High Court, seeking comprehensive protection of his personality and publicity rights against a coordinated campaign of digital impersonation, AI-generated deepfakes, and unauthorised commercial exploitation.
A two-time former World Cup-winning Indian cricketer, Gambhir filed a civil suit before the High Court of Delhi (C.S. (COMM.) of 2026). Damages of ₹2.5 crore have been claimed, alongside prayers for rendition of accounts, permanent injunction, and takedown of all infringing content.
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The suit invokes the Copyright Act 1957, Trade Marks Act 1999, and the Commercial Courts Act 2015, and draws upon a robust body of Delhi High Court jurisprudence -- including landmark rulings in Amitabh Bachchan v. Rajat Nagi, Anil Kapoor v. Simply Life India, and the recent Sunil Gavaskar v. Cricket Tak & Ors. -- that firmly establish personality rights as proprietary, enforceable rights extending to AI-driven exploitation.
Against whom Gautam Gambhir filed suit - full list JanKey Frames Bhupendra Paintola Legends Revolution gustakhedits cricket_memer45 GemsOfCrickets Crickaith Sunny Upadhyay @imRavY_ Amazon Flipkart Meta Platforms Inc., X Corp. Google LLC/YouTube Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology Department of Telecommunications The suit seeks a permanent injunction restraining all defendants from using, reproducing, or exploiting Gambhir's name, image, voice, or persona - including through AI, deepfake technology, morphing, and face-swapping -- without his express written consent. An urgent application for ex-parte ad-interim injunction has simultaneously been filed under Order XXXIX, Rules 1 & 2 CPC, requesting immediate takedown of all infringing content and a freeze on further dissemination pending final hearing.
What did Gautam Gambhir say? In a statement, Gambhir stated that his voice, face and name has been used by anonymous accounts to spread misinformation and generate revenue at his expense. “My identity -- my name, my face, my voice -- has been weaponised by anonymous accounts to spread misinformation and generate revenue at my expense,” the Indian head coach stated.
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"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," added Gambhir. According to ANI, Gambhir's legal team documented a sharp alarming rise in late 2025 in fabricated digital content across Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and Facebook.
Highlights of Gambhir's identity misuse
View full Image View full Image The fraudulent post in the name of Gautam Gambhir.
The major highlight of misuse of identity of Gambhir was a "resignation announcement" that garnered over 29 lakh views. The fraudulent post came just after India lost to South Africa 0-2 in a home Test series last year.
Another such incident came in the form of a video which showed Gambhir making remarks about some of the senior India cricketers' participation in the World Cup, which drew over 17 lakh views.