'Pitted against my own': Gautam Gambhir reacts to Shashi Tharoor's 'man with hardest job' post amid mounting criticism

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday, January 21, hailed Indian men's cricket team coach Gautam Gambhir for his "quiet determination and able leadership". Tharoor's statement comes at a time when Gambhir is facing criticism from a section of cricket fans in the country following India's recent ODI series defeat at home against New Zealand.

"In Nagpur, enjoyed a good &frank discussion with my old friend @GautamGambhir, the man with the hardest job in India after the PM’s! He is being second-guessed by millions daily but stays calm &walks on undaunted. A word of appreciation for his quiet determination and able leadership. Wishing him all success — starting today!," Tharoor said in his post on X.

Responding to Tharoor's message, Gambhir said that: "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!"

While not explicitly naming anyone or directly addressing what he meant, it is assumed that Gambhir was talking about the rumours and allegations on his role in dropping Rohit Sharma from ODI captaincy as well as the rift in the dressing room between him and senior players in the team.

Ever since, he took charge as coach of the Indian men's team, Gambhir has come under the scanner for his alleged role in sidelining Kohli and Rohit, including their decision to step down from the test side. The major changes he has brought about in the squads across the three formats coupled with the test series defeats both at home and in Australia, has only made things difficult for Gambhir.