A few days after Gautam Gambhir announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, Narendra Modi has penned a letter to the iconic sportsman for making India proud with his cricketing exploits.

"It's evident that cricket is your greatest passion. From a very young age you pursued cricket and underwent the complete rigours associated with the desire to shine as an athlete. Within a short span, you emerged as a dependable opener, who often took the team to flying starts. In the two big tournaments India won in the recent years, the ICC World Twenty20 2007 and the ICC World Cut in 2011, your contribution throughout the tournaments and particularly the finals was noteworthy," the Prime Minister says in the letter, praising Gambhir's community service initiatives, too.

"Thanks @narendramodi for the kind words. Nothing of this would have been possible without love and support of our fellow countrymen. All these deeds are dedicated to our country," Gambhir tweeted out.

There were rumours that Gambhir would join the BJP after retirement. He has refuted the rumours.