Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary has trained his guns at Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir, saying he may have played an influential role in the decision to oust Rohit Sharma as Indian captain. Tiwary has questioned the circumstances surrounding Rohit Sharma’s removal as India’s ODI captain. Tiwary stated that Rohit was treated unfairly and stripped of the ODI leadership without due regard for his recent achievements or future plans.
"I don't know what the primary cause is. But knowing Ajit Agarkar, he has a strong personality. He is a decisive leader who does not shy away from making tough calls. However, we must consider whether he was influenced by someone else to 'fire the gun from his shoulder," Tiwary told Sports Today.
What made the decision more disturbing, according to Tiwary, was its timing. When India announced their ODI squad for the Australia series in October, Shubman Gill was named the new captain. The move was quite surprising as Rohit’s last match as ODI captain had ended on a high note, guiding India to victory in the ICC Champions
"There has been a lot of inconsistency in picking the playing XI. To be brutally honest, I have lost interest in watching ODI matches. When a T20 World Cup-winning and Champions Trophy-winning captain is removed and replaced by someone new, it feels unnecessary. Having played with Rohit, I feel a connection to him and disliked how this panned out. It felt disrespectful to a cricketer who has given so much to fans worldwide."
"I wonder why there were doubts regarding Rohit playing in the 2027 World Cup. Doubting his ability was a mistake. When a player has scored three double-centuries and plays with such a selfless mindset, as he did in 2023, you don't question him. Removing him from the captaincy cannot be justified by cricketing logic alone," he said.