Gautam Gambhir a hypocrite, says Manoj Tiwary. KKR stars rally behind India coach

Former India batter Manoj Tiwary lashed out at Gautam Gambhir, accusing him of taking undue credit for Kolkata Knight Riders' successes in the IPL, both as captain and mentor, attributing these to effective PR. KKR pacer Harshit and former captain Nitish Rana responded to the comments in strongly worded statements on social media.

In Short

• Manoj Tiwary slammed Gautam Gambhir, saying the coach lacked clarity and style
• Tiwary said Gambhir took undue credit for Kolkata Knight Riders' IPL success
• KKR players Harshit Rana and Nitish lashed out at Tiwary's criticism

Former India batter Manoj Tiwary has criticised Gautam Gambhir, calling the India head coach a hypocrite who "doesn’t walk the talk". Tiwary questioned Gambhir's appointment as head coach, claiming the former opener lacks clarity and a definitive coaching style. His strongly-worded remarks came in the wake of India’s loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and their failure to reach the World Test Championship final.

Gautam Gambhir has faced intense scrutiny, along with captain Rohit Sharma and the leadership group, following India's 1-3 Test series defeat in Australia. Gambhir’s tenure as head coach has had a rocky start since he took over from Rahul Dravid, whose stint ended with a T20 World Cup triumph. Gambhir was given the freedom to select the support staff for the senior men’s team, bringing in former KKR mentor Abhishek Nayar, ex-South Africa pacer Morne Morkel, and former Netherlands batter Ryan ten Doeschate.

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Former cricketers and pundits, including the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, have questioned the effectiveness of Gambhir's coaching staff, particularly in addressing the batting unit’s consistent failures in Test cricket. India endured a historic 0-3 home Test series loss to New Zealand before their humbling defeat in Australia.

"Gautam Gambhir is a hypocrite. He doesn’t do what he says," Manoj Tiwary told News18 Bangla.

"What is the use of a bowling coach? Whatever the coach says, he will agree. Morne Morkel came from Lucknow Super Giants. Abhishek Nayar was at Kolkata Knight Riders with Gambhir, and the Indian head coach knows that he will not go against his instructions," Tiwary added.

Tiwary also claimed he had foreseen dressing room rifts before the Australia tour began. The former Bengal captain alleged that captain Rohit Sharma and coach Gambhir are not on the same page, a disconnect he suggested was evident from the much-publicised dressing room leaks during the tour.

He further accused Gambhir of taking undue credit for Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) successes in the IPL, both as captain and mentor, attributing these to effective PR rather than individual effort.

“Gambhir didn’t guide KKR to the title single-handedly. We all performed as a unit. Jacques Kallis, Sunil Narine, and I, all contributed to the cause. But who took the credit? There is an environment and PR that allows him to take all the credit," Tiwary alleged.

HARSHIT RANA, NITISH SLAM TIWARY CRITICISM, BACK GAMBHIR

However, KKR fast bowler Harshit Rana and former captain Nitish Rana strongly refuted Tiwary’s claims, voicing their support for Gambhir.

In an Instagram statement, Harshit said: "Criticising someone due to personal insecurities is not good. Gauti bhaiya (brother) is someone who thinks more for others than himself. He always backs players when they are down and puts them in the limelight when things go our way. He has shown this on multiple occasions. He has a lot of knowledge on how to turn games in your favour."

Nitish Rana shared similar sentiments: "Criticism should be based on facts, not personal insecurities. Gauti bhaiya is one of the most selfless players I’ve ever met. He shoulders responsibility in times of distress like no other. Performance doesn’t need any PR. The trophies speak for themselves."

Gambhir was widely credited for KKR’s IPL triumph in the 2024 season. The former India opener joined KKR as a mentor that year after working with the Lucknow Super Giants for two seasons. Before 2024, KKR had won IPL titles in 2012 and 2014 under Gambhir’s captaincy.

Young players, including Harshit Rana, and seasoned professionals like Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy have credited Gambhir for helping them excel and play key roles in KKR’s successful 2024 campaign. Gambhir’s achievements as a mentor in the IPL over the last three seasons ultimately led to his appointment as India’s head coach.