Tiwary also accused Gambhir of stealing all the credit for KKR's IPL victories.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has been on the receiving end of flak and criticism following the recent Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) loss.
He was labelled a ‘hypocrite’ by former India and Gambhir’s ex-KKR teammate Manoj Tiwary.
Tiwary also accused Gambhir and his PR of stealing all the credit when KKR won the IPL title under the former India opener’s leadership, ignoring the contributions of other cricketers.
Tiwary told News18 Bangla, “Gambhir didn’t guide KKR to the title single-handedly as 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.”
Gambhir was also widely credited for his role as a mentor when KKR won the title for a third time last season.
ALSO READ: ‘Doesn’t Do What He Says’: Former India Player Blasts Gautam Gambhir for ‘Hypocrisy’ After BGT Loss
In response to Tiwary’s claims, KKR players (current and former) have come out in defence of Gambhir. Players like Nitish Rana and Harshit Rana, who were a part of KKR’s title-winning team in IPL 2024 put up posts on their respective social media handles in support of Gambhir.
Nitish Rana wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Criticism should be based on facts not personal insecurities. Gauti bhaiyya 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.”
KKR pacer Harshit Rana, who was retained ahead of IPL 2025 put up a story on his Instagram.
Notably, not just the young players, seasoned professionals like Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy have previously credited Gambhir for helping them excel and play key roles in KKR’s successful 2024 campaign.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.
