After Team India’s defeat in the Kolkata Test, head coach Gautam Gambhir is facing continuous criticism. Questions were already being raised regarding team selection and role of players, and now the sharp statements of former cricketers are increasing this controversy further. After Cheteshwar Pujara, former cricketer Manoj Tiwari has also made a direct attack on Gambhir. He claimed that senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were pressured to quit Test cricket by creating a “transition phase” story.
“There was no need for transition, only pressure was created”
Speaking to India Today, Tiwary said there is no need for anything like “transition” in Indian cricket. According to him, there is so much talent in Indian domestic cricket that if any place has to be changed, new players are easily found. Tiwari said, “Because of this change story, old players like Rohit and Virat have been sidelined. They now wanted to play Test cricket, but such an environment was created that they had to step back. He clearly said that teams like New Zealand or Zimbabwe need change, not a country full of talent like India.”
Questions were also raised on Gambhir’s coaching methods.
Not only on the issue of retirement, Tiwari also raised questions on Gambhir targeting players in public. After losing the Kolkata Test, Gambhir had commented on the batsman’s technique, to which Tiwari said, “The job of a coach is not to do evil, but to teach.” If batsmen were facing difficulties against spin, why were they not prepared before the match? He said that Gambhir himself was an excellent batsman against spin, so he should have given more guidance to the young players of the team.
Pressure increased before Guwahati test
India has already lost the first Test, and now the team will have to win from November 22 in Guwahati to save the series. Amidst the increasing statements and controversies regarding Gambhir, the mental pressure on the team is sure to increase.
Questions raised again on Rohit and Virat’s test retirement
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had retired from the shorter formats after the T20 World Cup 2024, but had expressed their desire to play Tests. Then suddenly in May 2025, both of them announced their retirement from Test cricket at an interval of just five days, which surprised the cricket world. There was talk at that time that some members of the team management were trying to make changes. Now after Tiwari’s statement this issue has become heated again.