With former India opener Sadagoppan Ramesh accusing head coach Gautam Gambhir of favoritism and failing to support the in-form batter, the controversy over Shreyas Iyer’s exclusion from the Asia Cup has taken a new turn.
Regarding India’s recent 2-2 Test series stalemate in England under new captain Shubman Gill, Ramesh claimed on his YouTube channel that a false narrative was being developed.
Ramesh contended that the outcome was being overstated because India had struggled in Test matches previous year under Gambhir’s leadership, even if it was hailed as a noteworthy accomplishment for a young team without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He reminded supporters that India’s international success started in the Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri era.
“He (Gambhir) backs the players he likes but completely lets go of those he doesn’t. Winning consistently abroad had started long back under Kohli and Shastri. But now, just the drawn series in England is being projected as a big achievement in Gambhir’s track record,” Ramesh said.
Gambhir’s lack of backing for Iyer in spite of his game-winning contributions was criticized by Ramesh.
“Gambhir’s biggest achievement remains the Champions Trophy triumph, and Iyer was the biggest reason for that success. Yet, Gambhir is not backing him. Someone like Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is an X-factor player, must play all formats. Keeping him on standby is a poor move,” Ramesh remarked.
Emphasizing Iyer’s current form, Ramesh added, “Shreyas Iyer produced incredible performances in the same UAE during the Champions Trophy and should be a permanent fixture in India’s white-ball teams.”
“Players must be backed when they are high on confidence and in form, not when they fade away. This is the ideal time to reap the rewards of Iyer’s sky-high confidence,” Ramesh remarked.
