Gambhir Put To Sword For Disrespecting Rohit: 'Fired The Gun Off Agarkar's Shoulder'

[rollingstoned]

Gambhir Put To Sword For Disrespecting Rohit: 'Fired The Gun Off Agarkar's Shoulder'

Manoj Tiwary criticizes Rohit Sharma's ODI captaincy removal, blaming Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar, calling it disrespectful and lacking cricketing logic.

Rohit Sharma is one of India's most storied captains. (PTI Photo)

Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary believes Rohit Sharma’s demotion from ODI captaincy had head coach Gautam Gambhir firing the gun off chief selector Ajit Agarkar’s shoulder behind it. Tiwary said Agarkar is a ‘personality’ who wouldn’t have taken the step without an ‘influence’, asking Gambhir to be ‘equally’ blamed for what he termed was a ‘disrespect’ to Rohit and a ‘big mistake’ for Indian cricket.

 

Rohit’s last match as ODI captain was the 2025 Champions Trophy final, where he won his second ICC trophy at the helm to join MS Dhoni as the only Indian skippers with multiple titles in white-ball cricket. However, the team said it wanted to build towards the future and named Shubman Gill, 12 years Rohit’s junior, the captain.

 

“I don’t know what the main cause is," Tiwary told Sports Today. “But knowing Ajit Agarkar, he is a personality. He is a decision maker. He will not take a step back in taking such steps. But whether he was influenced by someone to fire the gun from his shoulder is something we need to look at. A lot of things happen behind the scenes… Maybe the decision was made by the chief selector, and he was very upfront about it. Naturally, the coach’s inputs must be there. You cannot make the decision on your own. Both are equally responsible for whatever decision was made."

 

Tiwary said that since Rohit’s removal, he lost interest in ODIs because there was ‘no clarity’ on multiple aspects, leading to more and more controversies. He also blamed the management for ‘doubting’ Rohit’s abilities as a batter, saying his sacking was devoid of ‘cricketing logic’.

 

“I felt it was disrespectful to a cricketer who has given so much to the cricket lovers across the world… I just wonder why you had doubts regarding Rohit playing the 2027 World Cup. That means you doubted his abilities. Why would you do that? When he has scored three double hundreds, there was no question of doubting him. A big player always gets the runs. The mindset with which he played in 2023, he is such a selfless cricketer; he wanted to make a statement. Doubting his ability was a big mistake, and then removing him from captaincy was a big mistake as well. I thought it shouldn’t have happened. It cannot be cricketing logic behind his removal as the captain," Tiwary added.

 

[zen]

The issue is that youngsters are not allowed the breathing space to develop their leadership skills. 
 

It is as if the PR of these established cricketers is waiting to strike when India loses. 
 

[MK55]

The mediocrity doesn’t just end in the dressing room I guess - we’ve got it everywhere. 

Edited January 19 by MK55

[putrevus]

There was no need to make Gill odi captain.Rohit's credentials as odi batsman don't have to be validated every series.

 

It is Gambhir the idiot who is the problem along with another idiot Agarkar.These two morons have to be kicked out if Indian cricket wants to do well.

 

Gill as a batstman is still riding on coat tails of Kohli and Rohit.He has to score those important runs.

[lemsip]

Easing out a person who would be 40 at the time of the next  big ODI tournament is not the issue. Disrespect or not - that is not going to determine India's fate in 2027. The real problem is persisting with a steadily ageing side and failing to reduce the average age of the team and developing younger options for the team to be competitive versus others.

[putrevus]

Other than Jadeja all other ageing players command their place on merit. His selection back is more on Selectors and Head Coach.

 

It is the inability of younger players to perform is causing all the issues plus inability of selection committee to select younger players.

 

TM had younger player Badoni for selection but he was not selected.

[jf1gp_1]

Rohit wasn't in 2011 wc squad. Kohlis test career should have been over after his first England tour. Jadeja tested everyone for years but someone believed in them and our newer player will pay. Harshit is showing why he is valued, I personally feel Reddy will serve us for years. Let's have some faith in gill and we will be fine. 

[lemsip]

1 hour ago, putrevus said:

Other than Jadeja all other ageing players command their place on merit. His selection back is more on Selectors and Head Coach.

 

With this old side, they have lost 2 out of the last 3 ODI series despite all these merit based selections playing. You can clearly see the impact in the fielding.

Some individuals like Kohli might be performing ok but clearly the team as a whole has taken a backwards step. Gambhir needs to be accountable for generating alternatives for the older players. With so many approaching 40, one injury can leave an already weakened team very exposed.

[tapandrun]

Again a surface level analysis by another Ind expert, Rohit is approaching ~40 yo and most of the team is ageing, there is noting worng in asking for future plans of the players and when they are not giving the correct/straight answers then they have to be questioned. 

 

And if senior players are planing to play the next odi-wc and there is not much odis in between they have to play what ever domestic cricket that is available to them. 

 

The TM and selectors are not doing many thing right but encouraging fast bowlers and asking players to play domestic are the only thing they are doing it right.

 

Rather than creating a backdrop on rohit , tiwari should have ques why gill is captain when rohit is there ??? Are we blocking some other player for gill as they did in t20is.

The issue here is you can not try-out any new player because if they perform they will directly challenge these existing players and hence even if they perform in the chances they get by luck they are dropped or not given a chance in next game.

 

The reason why they are not trying new player is that they do not what new player to challenge the existing players. If some1 opens and plays 1-2 good knocks at opening slot that player will directly challenge either gill or rohit.

 

if some1 does well in 4-5-6 they will challenge kl/hardik/iyer. and they donot want that to happen.

 

Can not understand why rohit has to be ultra aggressive, why a new player like can/is not able to play at high tempo. When was the last time in Ind cricket that previous gen was batting at higher sr then the current or next gen....This is showing gaps .. clear gaps..

 

When Sehwag came he was the aggressor, when kolhi came kolhi had better attacking game than Dravid, rohit was quicker run getter than gambhir. Do not think there is any need for comparing Dhoni/Yuvi/Raina in odis to current players with Axar/Jadeja/kl etc..

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 19 by tapandrun

[putrevus]

1 hour ago, lemsip said:

With this old side, they have lost 2 out of the last 3 ODI series despite all these merit based selections playing. You can clearly see the impact in the fielding.

Some individuals like Kohli might be performing ok but clearly the team as a whole has taken a backwards step. Gambhir needs to be accountable for generating alternatives for the older players. With so many approaching 40, one injury can leave an already weakened team very exposed.

Who is old in this side other Kohli and Rohit.Axar played in Australia in that series loss. The main spinner and all three fast bowlers who played are not old.

Edited January 19 by putrevus

[lemsip]

30 minutes ago, putrevus said:

Who is old in this side other Kohli and Rohit.Axar played in Australia in that series loss. The main spinner and all three fast bowlers who played are not old.

At the time of the 2027 WC -

 

Rohit -40

Kohli- 38

Jadeja 38

KL 35

Siraj and Bumrah - 33

 

At least 5 of these are sure starters in the XI on the current trajectory and the one likely to miss out is the best fielder ( Jadeja). That's an old side in this day and age.

[putrevus]

8 minutes ago, lemsip said:

At the time of the 2027 WC -

 

Rohit -40

Kohli- 38

Jadeja 38

KL 35

Siraj and Bumrah - 33

 

At least 5 of these are sure starters in the XI on the current trajectory and the one likely to miss out is the best fielder ( Jadeja). That's an old side in this day and age.

Jadeja is not going to be there.Axar will be there in his place.If younger fast bowlers were any good then there would be no Siraj.

 

37 year old was running harder than a 23 year old yesterday.Fitness and form is more important than age.

 

Aussies will have side which is going to be older too.

 

 

[New guy]

16 hours ago, putrevus said:

There was no need to make Gill odi captain.Rohit's credentials as odi batsman don't have to be validated every series.

 

It is Gambhir the idiot who is the problem along with another idiot Agarkar.These two morons have to be kicked out if Indian cricket wants to do well.

 

Gill as a batstman is still riding on coat tails of Kohli and Rohit.He has to score those important runs.

When you are over 37= your credentials need to be validated not just every series but every match. You lose reflexes and form on a dime and it will cost you a crucial cup.

Edited January 20 by New guy

[New guy]

22 hours ago, zen said:

The issue is that youngsters are not allowed the breathing space to develop their leadership skills. 
 

It is as if the PR of these established cricketers is waiting to strike when India loses. 
 

That's what people don't understand. Our T20 team fared better as youngsters were the lime light. 

 

When you focus ODIs around super stars and treat other members as extras, the other members will not be able to step up.

 

This is exactly what Pakistan was doing with Rizwan and Babar and they were unable to develop new young players.

 

Our T20 team should be the template for ODIs, get young hungry players, define positions and have them play as one team. Instead what we have are two aging superstars stealing limelight, being the center of all talk and youngsters not having fixed pistons and many like Jaiswal being sidelined

 

Edited January 20 by New guy

[putrevus]

7 hours ago, New guy said:

When you are over 37= your credentials need to be validated not just every series but every match. You lose reflexes and form on a dime and it will cost you a crucial cup.

No