India cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir has approached the Delhi High Court, alleging widespread misuse of his identity through artificial intelligence-driven content such as deepfakes and impersonation videos.

In his civil petition, Gambhir has sought protection of his personality rights, along with compensation of Rs 2.5 crore and urgent removal of misleading material from digital platforms. The case points to a growing trend of AI-based manipulation, including face-swapping, voice cloning and unauthorised commercial use of public figures’ identities.

Speaking about the issue, Gambhir said his name, likeness and voice have been exploited by unidentified accounts to spread false narratives and monetise content without consent. He emphasised that the matter goes beyond personal discomfort and raises serious legal and ethical concerns in the digital age.

Despite leading India to major victories, including the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and the Asia Cup 2025, Gambhir has frequently been targeted online. However, his legal team noted that the problem intensified significantly since late 2025, with a surge in highly realistic fabricated videos across platforms.

The petition highlights several viral clips, including one falsely portraying Gambhir announcing his resignation, which garnered millions of views. Another video allegedly misrepresented his remarks about fellow cricketers.

The case names multiple defendants, including social media platforms like Meta, Google (YouTube) and X, as well as e-commerce players such as Amazon and Flipkart. Certain government authorities have also been included to ensure enforcement of court directions.

Gambhir’s plea draws on provisions of the Copyright Act, 1957, the Trade Marks Act, 1999 and the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, along with previous rulings recognising personality rights.

He has requested the court to issue a permanent injunction to prevent any further unauthorised use of his identity in digital content, especially through AI technologies. Additionally, he has sought immediate interim relief to ensure that existing misleading content is taken down pending the court’s decision.