In response to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s description of his position as the “hardest job after the Prime Minister’s,” India coach Gautam Gambhir has questioned the commonly held belief that he has “unlimited authority” in team selection and expressed amusement at being “pitted against his own.”
Before the first Twenty20 International against New Zealand in Nagpur, Tharoor, a passionate cricket fan, posted a selfie with Gambhir and showed his respect for the way the former India opener is handling his present role in spite of the constant criticism.
“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 posted on X.
In his late-night response, Gambhir briefly mentioned some of the rumors that have overshadowed his career.
“Thanks a lot Dr @ShashiTharoor! 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!” Gambhir wrote on ‘X’.
The Indian team has seen significant changes in all three forms since Gambhir took over. The team has experienced tremendous change, from the selection of Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20I captain to the retirement of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin from Test cricket.
During this period, Shubman Gill was also named captain of the Test and ODI teams.
In the midst of all of this, there is constant conjecture on Gambhir’s relationship with more experienced players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who are only participating in ODIs after retiring from Tests and Twenty20 Internationals.
Gambhir has also faced criticism due to India’s dismal recent home Test results, which include whitewashes against New Zealand and South Africa.
