Team India coach Gautam Gambhir sparked debate with a cryptic X post replying to Shashi Tharoor. Following India’s historic ODI series loss to New Zealand, fans criticized him for perceived arrogance and lack of accountability.
Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir has come under immense scrutiny, not for his on-field strategies and team selections, but for a cryptic post on X (formerly Twitter) that sparked a debate over his coaching role and authority in the team.
Ahead of the first T20I of the five-match series against New Zealand at Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) in Nagpur, Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor took an opportunity to publicly praise Gautam Gambhir on his X handle, describing India’s head coach role as the ‘hardest job in India after PM’s’.
Tharoor further praised his ability to remain despite immense scrutiny over his coaching and appreciated his ‘determination’ and able leadership.
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The appreciation from Shashi Tharoor to Gautam Gambhir came at a time when the former India opener had been put in the spotlight after Team India suffered a first-ever home ODI series defeat to New Zealand. After winning the opening match in Vadodara,
Team India failed to capitalise on an early lead as New Zealand bounced back to clinch a historic 2-1 triumph, ending their 37-year wait to win an ODI series on home soil. Additionally, the Men in Blue’s 13-ODI series winning streak since 2016 on home soil came to an abrupt end with the series defeat, further intensifying scrutiny around Gambhir’s tenure as head coach.
‘Pitted Against My Own Who are the Very Best’
Following Team India’s victory in the first T20I against New Zealand, Gautam Gambhir responded to Shashi Tharoor’s praise and appreciation with a cryptic post that grabbed the attention of fans and cricket enthusiasts.
Gambhir suggested that the criticism around the coach’s “unlimited authority” is exaggerated, while implying that the debate will settle with time, adding that he finds it ironic and amusing to be questioned by his own peers.
“Thanks a lot Dr @ShashiTharoor! When the dust settles, truth & logic about a coach’s supposedly “unlimited authority” will become clear. Till then, I’m amused at being pitted against my own who are the very best!” the former India opener wrote.
Gautam Gambhir did not take the name of my individual in his post, but it was believed to be taking an indirect aim at BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar, amid speculations of disagreements between the head coach and the selection committee over the team selections.
Gambhir’s tenure as a head coach has been quite shaky compared to other coaches in the past, including Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid, with inconsistent results across formats, especially Test and ODIs, and growing chatter around frequent changes in the playing XI has kept him under constant scrutiny from fans, experts, and former cricketers alike.
Gambhir’s Cryptic Post Receives Backlash
Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir’s cryptic tweet in response to Shashi Tharoor’s praise and appreciation for him has kept social media and the internet buzzing, as fans dissect his remarks, sparking widespread debate and mixed reactions across platforms.
Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), fans and cricket enthusiasts did not any mercy towards former India opener’s cryptic post, slamming him for arrogance, lack of accountability over the team’s recent failures in Tests and ODIs, and his alleged obsession with his social media narratives.
The netizens further questioned his temperament and leadership while accusing Gautam Gambhir of deflecting criticism instead of owning recent failures.
Since Gambhir took over as head coach in July 2024, Team India lost the ODI series against Sri Lanka and Australia, the Test whitewash at the hands of New Zealand and South Africa at home, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series defeat to Australia, resulting in India’s failure to qualify for the WTC Final.
The recent ODI series defeat to New Zealand for the first time at home further dented Gambhir’s record and intensified scrutiny on his coaching. Gautam Gambhir is currently focusing on the ongoing five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which serves as a dress rehearsal for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, a major assignment for him this year.
