Gautam Gambhir’s response to Tharoors’ praise sparks debate

Indian cricket team’s head coach Gautam Gambhir sparked a fresh debate on social media after reacting to a post by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor ahead of the IND VS New Zealand T20I series.

​After India's first T20I win in Nagpur, Gambhir replied to Tharoor's tweet, but his response surprised many fans. While Tharoor had praised Gambhir’s leadership ,  Gambhir hinted that he does not have full control over team decisions, which led to widespread discussion online.

​Earlier, Tharoor shared that he met his old friend Gambhir in Nagpur and spoke highly of him. He called Ghambir s role the second toughest job in India, after that of the prime minister, and appreciated his calm attitude despite constant public criticism.

​Reacting to this, Gambhir posted a message saying that people wrongly believe a coach has “unlimited authority” over the team. He also added that he was amused to be “pitted against his own people,” whom he described as the best.

​Gambhir did not name anyone in his post, but some fans felt the message was directed at the selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar. However, there was no direct confirmation of this.​

Since taking charge, Gambhir’s tenure has seen major changes in the Indian team. New leadership roles were assigned, and senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin retired from Test cricket. The team has also gone through frequent selection changes.

India’s recent struggles, including Test series losses at home and in Australia and a historic home ODI series defeat against New Zealand, have increased pressure on the coaching staff.’s head coach Gautam Gambhir sparked a fresh debate on social media after reacting to a post by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor ahead of the IND VS New Zealand T20I series.