Former Team India batsman Manoj Tiwary stirred controversy after making comments regarding the retirement of veteran cricketers under Gautam Gambhir’s leadership. Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma all left Test cricket within six months under Gambhir. Tiwary believes Gambhir is responsible for their exit from long-format cricket.
The former batter accused Gambhir of forcing out India’s senior players to dismantle their influence on the team:
“If the senior players are there, if Ashwin is there, if Rohit is there or if Rohit is there, then these guys have played so much cricket, these guys are established much more than the head coach or the other staff, these guys will raise questions if they don’t agree to a point. You just made sure that these guys are not there, basically,” Tiwary said.
Tiwary Accuses Gambhir of Breeding Controversy, Picking Unproven Players Ahead of Stars in Lineups
Manoj took further aim at India’s current head coach, accusing him of attracting controversies since his ascension to the role.
“I have observed that since this coach took on the role, a lot of controversies have arisen. Many things that are happening are not good for Indian cricket. I believe that since the time he has been the head coach, Ashwin has taken a retirement. Rohit and Virat have also done so,” the former cricketer said.
Tiwary also believes Gambhir favours inexperienced players and add such cricketers directly to the squad. He tags Gambhir’s approach to playing XI selection as “not consistent”:
“Other things have happened, such as players being unexpectedly added to the squad and then being straight into the starting XI. We have seen that Gambhir has not been consistent,” he added.
Ashwin Faults Tiwary’s Claims, Details Behind-the-Scenes Chats Before His Retirement
Former Team India senior bowler Ravi Ashwin retired from all international cricket formats five months before Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Several rumours at the time suggested that Ashwin was forced out of India’s squad (he retired during India’s 2024 Test vs Australia).
Attention on the situation around Ashwin’s retirement trailed Tiwary’s recent comments. Ashwin had this to say concerning his decision to step away from international cricket while citing internal chats with the coach and teammates:
“No one told me that you should go, no one told me that there is no place for you in the team. Actually, before I took the decision 2-3 people told me not to take it, but I took my decision. In fact, they wanted me to play more,” Ashwin said, quenching growing interest surrounding the events that trailed his retirement.
I spoke to Test captain, head coach, and selector before retirement – Ashwin says
Ashwin said he spoke to the-then Test captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir before retiring from the sport. He also mentions telling BCCI Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar about his decision to leave Test cricket:
“Rohit Sharma also told me to think about it, Gauti bhai also told me to think again. But I didn’t talk much about it with Ajit Agarkar,” he added. Ashwin claims his decision to leave all cricket formats for good was personal and was not forced in any way:
“The decision [retirement] is very personal when it comes to retirement. These are all very individual decisions,” he concluded.
Ashwin retired from Test cricket in December 2024 while Team India was in the middle of their Test tour of Australia. He featured briefly in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024/25 before deciding to retire while India were yet to see the entire series through.
Ashwin Urges Proper Communication to Avoid Sudden Kohli, Sharma ODI Retirement
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli took the cricket world by surprise with two shock retirements from Test cricket in under a week. Ashwin urges Team India officials to communicate with Kohli and Sharma to prevent another sudden retirement from 50-over cricket:
“Virat Kohli is a bonafide ODI legend. The way he and Rohit batted in 2023 World Cup, they have nothing to prove. I really hope that the conversation happened. Whatever needs to be discussed with Virat and Rohit Sharma must have happened. There should clear communication with them,” Ashwin said.
Who Took Up Spin-Bowling Duties in Ashwin’s Absence?
Team India has no shortage of talent in every department, and Ashwin’s retirement proved this point. Ashwin suddenly left Test cricket, but India now has at least three capable replacements in his position. Players like Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Washington Sundar have put in remarkable shits in Ashwin’s former position in recent Test encounters.
