India head coach Gautam Gambhir moves Delhi High Court over deepfakes, unauthorised use of identity

Current Indian men’s team head coach Gautam Gambhir has filed a civil suit in the Delhi High Court alleging large-scale misuse of his identity through deepfakes, AI-generated content and unauthorised merchandise.

Filed in the Commercial Division, the suit seeks an urgent ex-parte ad-interim injunction against 16 named and unnamed defendants, including social media accounts, e-commerce platforms and digital intermediaries.

Gambhir’s legal team has flagged a surge in fabricated content since late 2025, including manipulated videos using face-swapping and voice-cloning technologies. Among them are a fake “resignation announcement” that drew over 29 lakh views and a doctored clip about senior cricketers’ World Cup participation that crossed 17 lakh views.

The suit also targets unauthorised sale of merchandise bearing his name and likeness.

Invoking provisions under the Copyright Act, Trade Marks Act and Commercial Courts Act, Gambhir has sought damages of Rs. 2.5 crore, along with takedown of infringing content and a permanent injunction against further misuse.

“This is about law, dignity and protection in the age of artificial intelligence,” Gambhir said.

Published on Mar 19, 2026