Former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary has taken a strong stance against India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir, calling him a “hypocrite” for supporting the scheduled India-Pakistan clashes in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. Tiwary’s remarks come in the wake of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, following the Pahalgam terrorist attack and India’s military operations. Despite these strained relations, the two nations are set to face each other on September 14, 2025, in Dubai, with the possibility of further encounters in the Super 4 or final rounds.
Tiwary Questions Gambhir’s Consistency
Tiwary, in an exclusive interview with CrickTracker, highlighted Gautam Gambhir’s earlier comments against India playing against Pakistan. The former Indian cricketer accused Gambhir of being inconsistent and hypocritical. Tiwary reminded listeners that Gambhir had previously argued that India should never play against Pakistan, stating that it went against the nation’s dignity.
He also criticized Gambhir for his apparent shift in stance, now endorsing the idea of India playing Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup. “What will he do now? He’s the coach of the team that’s going to play Pakistan in the Asia Cup,” Tiwary questioned. He went on to suggest that Gambhir should step down from his coaching role if he truly believes in his previous statements.
Criticism of Asia Cup Squad Selection
Apart from his remarks on the India-Pakistan match-up, Tiwary also took issue with Gambhir’s decision to exclude Yashasvi Jaiswal from the Asia Cup squad. Despite Jaiswal’s stellar performance in IPL 2025, which saw him score 559 runs at an average of 43 and a striking strike rate of 159.70, he was overlooked in favor of Shubman Gill. Tiwary emphasized that Jaiswal’s performance, especially in the powerplay, outshone Gill’s. Jaiswal’s strike rate of 177.4 during the first six overs of the IPL clearly demonstrated his impact, especially compared to Gill’s 143.2 strike rate.
“Gambhir himself said that Yashasvi Jaiswal is the future of Indian cricket. He was also the one to say that Jaiswal should never be kept out of T20s. But now, he’s not even in the squad for the Asia Cup,” Tiwary remarked.
The former cricketer voiced his frustration, suggesting that Gambhir’s actions contradicted his earlier statements. Tiwary’s claims about the inconsistency in Gambhir’s approach to both team selection and India’s stance on Pakistan have sparked a fresh debate among cricket fans and analysts alike.
In conclusion, Manoj Tiwary’s comments on Gautam Gambhir’s actions during the Asia Cup selection process have raised eyebrows, particularly regarding the India-Pakistan match and the exclusion of Yashasvi Jaiswal. With heightened political tensions and ongoing selection debates, this saga is far from over, leaving many to wonder how Gambhir will address these accusations moving forward.
