Nitish Rana hits back at Manoj Tiwary for criticizing Gautam Gambhir after BGT 2024-25 defeat.
Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batsman Nitish Rana has come to the defense of Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir following Manoj Tiwary’s recent criticism following the team’s embarrassing batting in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
The former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batsman called Gautam Gambhir a “hypocrite” and criticized the coach for pushing India captain Rohit Sharma to the forefront to deal with all the problems. Further, Tiwary questioned Gambhir’s success at KKR, suggesting that his public relations game allowed him to take credit for the team’s achievements.
Performance needs no PR: Nitish Rana criticizes Manoj Tiwary
Reacting to the controversial statement, Nitish Rana, who played with Gambhir in Delhi and KKR in the Indian Premier League (IPL), rubbished the claims terming them Manoj Tiwary’s insecurities. Rana highlighted Gambhir’s positive impact, adding that the legendary cricketer’s contribution to KKR’s triumphs goes beyond the limelight.
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Attacking Manoj Tiwary, Nitish Rana posted on his X (formerly Twitter) handle: “Criticism should be based on facts, not on personal insecurities. Gauti bhaiyya is one of the most selfless players I have ever met. He takes responsibility in times of trouble like no other. You don’t need a PR to perform. The trophies speak for themselves.”
Criticism should be based on facts, not personal insecurities. Gauti bhaiyya is one of the most selfless players I have ever met. He takes responsibility in times of trouble like no other. You don’t need a PR to perform. The trophies speak for themselves.
— Nitish Rana (@NitishRana_27) January 9, 2025
Gautam Gambhir is a hypocrite: Manoj Tiwary
Manoj Tiwary has criticized both India’s bowling coach, Morne Morkel, and batting coach, Abhishek Nayar, questioning their worth and accusing them of blindly going along with whatever head coach, Gautam Gambhir, says. He then called Gambhir a “hypocrite”, stating that the Indian head coach does not practice what he preaches.
Manoj Tiwary was quoted by News18 Bangla as saying, “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 has a comfort zone with him. Gautam Gambhir is a hypocrite. It doesn’t do what it says. The captain is from Mumbai; Abhishek Nayar is from Mumbai. They pushed Rohit to the forefront to deal with all the problems.”
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Manoj Tiwary says Gautam Gambhir did not single-handedly lead KKR to the IPL title
Further, Manoj Tiwary opined on the rumored tension between Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma, questioning how they could work together effectively. Tiwary highlighted contrasting leadership experiences. Tiwary also said that Gambhir did not win the IPL titles on his own, as the entire team, including players like Jacques Kallis, Sunil Narine and himself, contributed to the success. Tiwary also pointed out that Gambhir has taken a lot of credit for KKR’s achievements.
Tiwary added, “How will they work together? Rohit is a World Cup winning captain. While Gambhir led KKR to the IPL title both as captain and mentor. Gambhir did not single-handedly lead KKR to the title, as we all performed as a unit. Jacques Kallis, Sunil Narine and I all contributed to the cause. But who took the credit?”
Notably, India have lost six of the 10 Tests since Gautam Gambhir replaced Rahul Dravid as the head coach of the Indian cricket team. Under Gambhir’s leadership, India lost the ODI series to Sri Lanka. Gambhir’s next big challenge is the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
