Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary criticized head coach Gautam Gambhir after the team’s 30-run defeat to South Africa in Kolkata.
Tiwari said that experienced batsmen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma wanted to remain in Tests but were forced to retire from Test cricket due to the poor environment of the team.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli shocked the cricket world when they announced their Test retirement in May 2025, just before India’s tour of England.
His sudden decisions sparked speculation. Young batsman Shubman Gill took over as India’s new Test captain, while Rishabh Pant was appointed as the vice-captain.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma stepped back due to the environment – Manoj Tiwari criticized Gautam Gambhir
Manoj Tiwari rejected Gautam Gambhir’s claim that India is going through a “transition phase”. He said that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were forced to retire despite their desire to continue playing. Tiwari said that the atmosphere created around the team pushed him out.
“This whole “transition phase” thing – I don’t agree with that. India don’t need change. New Zealand or Zimbabwe need change. Our domestic cricket is full of talented players waiting for opportunities,” Tiwary told India Today.
“Due to this unnecessary change, our star players – like Virat and Rohit – who wanted to continue playing Test cricket and protect its sanctity, gradually backed out because of the environment created around them,” he said.
You can’t blame players’ technique after losing – Manoj Tiwari on Gautam Gambhir
Manoj Tiwari criticized Gautam Gambhir for pointing fingers at the players after the defeat in Kolkata. Tiwari said that he should focus on guiding the team instead of questioning their technique. He said that Gambhir should have used his experience to help the team.
He said, “After losing, you cannot blame the players’ technique. Your job as a coach is to teach, not to blame. If the batsmen did not have a strong defence, then why were they not trained before the match? Gambhir himself was a good player of spin when he played, so he should be taught more. The results are not in India’s favour.”
India under immense pressure before the second test in Guwahati
After the defeat in Kolkata, India will enter the second Test in Guwahati under immense pressure. They need a win to avoid defeat in the home series. With the rank turner proving costly at Eden Gardens, the focus now turns to the surface they will choose for the decider.
The defeat pushed India to fourth place in the World Test Championship (WTC) table, while South Africa moved up to second place after their series-opening win.
Many said India miscalculated by demanding a dry, turning track, which helped the visiting spinners. Notably, the Men in Blue suffered a 0-3 defeat to New Zealand on a turning track last year.
Gautam Gambhir defended his team saying that the team is still young and going through big changes. Soon after Cheteshwar Pujara, Ishant Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane were out, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and R. Senior players like Ashwin retired from the format.
Also read: Gautam Gambhir’s amazing spat with Eden Gardens curator after pitch controversy goes viral
