‘My identity, my name have been weaponised’: Gautam Gambhir moves Delhi High Court, seeks ₹2.5 crore in damages over deepfakes
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Department of Telecommunications have been included as proforma parties to help implement any court order.
- Mar 19, 2026,
- Updated Mar 19, 2026 5:50 PM IST
Gautam Gambhir moved the Delhi High Court, alleging misuse of his identity through deepfakes, AI-generated videos and unauthorised merchandise, according to a press release issued on Thursday.
The suit has been filed in the Commercial Division of the High Court (C.S. (COMM.) of 2026). It seeks protection of his personality and publicity rights and names 16 defendants, including social media accounts, e-commerce platforms and technology companies.
The complaint describes a coordinated campaign of digital impersonation. It says that since late 2025, there has been a sharp rise in fabricated content across Instagram, X, YouTube and Facebook. Artificial intelligence tools such as face-swapping and voice cloning were used to create videos falsely showing Gambhir making statements he never made.
One such fake “resignation announcement” video received over 29 lakh views, while another clip showing him making remarks on senior cricketers’ World Cup participation drew more than 17 lakh views.
The suit also flags the sale of posters and merchandise using his name and image without permission on e-commerce platforms.
Among those named in the case are social media accounts such as JanKey Frames, Bhupendra Paintola, Legends Revolution, gustakhedits, cricket_memer45, GemsOfCrickets, Crickaith, Sunny Upadhyay and @imRavY_. Platforms including Amazon and Flipkart, as well as intermediaries Meta Platforms Inc., X Corp. and Google LLC/YouTube, have also been listed. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Department of Telecommunications have been included as proforma parties to help implement any court order.
The case invokes provisions of the Copyright Act, 1957, Trade Marks Act, 1999, and the Commercial Courts Act, 2015. It also refers to earlier Delhi High Court rulings that recognise personality rights, including cases involving Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor and Sunil Gavaskar.
Gambhir has sought damages of Rs. 2.5 crore, along with a permanent injunction, removal of content and rendition of accounts.
“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.”
He has also filed an application seeking an urgent ex-parte ad-interim injunction under Order XXXIX Rules 1 and 2 of the Civil Procedure Code, asking the court to immediately take down the content and stop further circulation until the case is heard.
Gambhir, a former India cricketer, played 242 international matches and was part of the teams that won the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 and the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. He is currently the head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team.
Gautam Gambhir moved the Delhi High Court, alleging misuse of his identity through deepfakes, AI-generated videos and unauthorised merchandise, according to a press release issued on Thursday.
The suit has been filed in the Commercial Division of the High Court (C.S. (COMM.) of 2026). It seeks protection of his personality and publicity rights and names 16 defendants, including social media accounts, e-commerce platforms and technology companies.
The complaint describes a coordinated campaign of digital impersonation. It says that since late 2025, there has been a sharp rise in fabricated content across Instagram, X, YouTube and Facebook. Artificial intelligence tools such as face-swapping and voice cloning were used to create videos falsely showing Gambhir making statements he never made.
One such fake “resignation announcement” video received over 29 lakh views, while another clip showing him making remarks on senior cricketers’ World Cup participation drew more than 17 lakh views.
The suit also flags the sale of posters and merchandise using his name and image without permission on e-commerce platforms.
Among those named in the case are social media accounts such as JanKey Frames, Bhupendra Paintola, Legends Revolution, gustakhedits, cricket_memer45, GemsOfCrickets, Crickaith, Sunny Upadhyay and @imRavY_. Platforms including Amazon and Flipkart, as well as intermediaries Meta Platforms Inc., X Corp. and Google LLC/YouTube, have also been listed. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Department of Telecommunications have been included as proforma parties to help implement any court order.
The case invokes provisions of the Copyright Act, 1957, Trade Marks Act, 1999, and the Commercial Courts Act, 2015. It also refers to earlier Delhi High Court rulings that recognise personality rights, including cases involving Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor and Sunil Gavaskar.
Gambhir has sought damages of Rs. 2.5 crore, along with a permanent injunction, removal of content and rendition of accounts.
“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.”
He has also filed an application seeking an urgent ex-parte ad-interim injunction under Order XXXIX Rules 1 and 2 of the Civil Procedure Code, asking the court to immediately take down the content and stop further circulation until the case is heard.
Gambhir, a former India cricketer, played 242 international matches and was part of the teams that won the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 and the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. He is currently the head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team.