Manoj Tiwary calls Gautam Gambhir a 'Hypocrite', slams his leadership

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Former India and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Manoj Tiwary has strongly criticized current national team head coach Gautam Gambhir calling him a "hypocrite" for not following his own advice. Tiwary who has played alongside Gambhir both in the IPL and for the Delhi state team expressed his frustration over the recent team selections and the handling of the Indian squad, particularly after their disappointing performances against Australia and New Zealand in Tests.

Tiwary raised concerns over the selection of Harshit Rana over Akash Deep despite Deep’s impressive bowling performances in previous series. He pointed out that Deep had bowled well against Bangladesh and New Zealand, but was dropped in favor of Rana who had less experience in First-Class cricket. Tiwary suggested that such selections were biased and driven by personal connections, as players like Harshit and Nitish Rana who have links with Gambhir were likely to defend him.

Tiwary also took aim at what he saw as the PR tactics protecting Gambhir, claiming that when someone speaks the truth people rush to defend the coach without fully understanding the situation. He recalled a past Ranji Trophy incident where Gambhir allegedly abused his family and criticized former India captain Sourav Ganguly yet was shielded by a few individuals. Tiwary felt that this kind of behavior was being covered up by PR. Additionally Tiwary questioned the decision to include players like Devdutt Padikkal in the Test squad over more consistent performers like Abhimanyu Easwaran, who had been scoring runs regularly but was not given a chance to play in the team. Tiwary’s remarks reflect his ongoing concerns about the current management of the Indian team and the selection process under Gambhir, with the recent poor results bringing more attention to the decisions being made. His comments shed light on the broader frustrations with how the team is being run.