Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary has alleged that head coach Gautam Gambhir influenced chief selector Ajit Agarkar in the decision to remove Rohit Sharma as India’s ODI captain. Tiwary also said that the way the change was handled showed a lack of respect towards Rohit, who guided India to two ICC trophies.
Rohit retired from T20Is and Test cricket but continued to play ODIs with the 2027 World Cup in mind. However, Shubman Gill was named the new captain for the Australia ODIs in October. The decision surprised many, especially as Rohit had won the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in his final match as India’s skipper.
Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir Are Equally Responsible – Manoj Tiwary on Rohit Sharma’s Sacking
Speaking to Sports Today, Manoj Tiwary said that the call to remove Rohit Sharma could not have been taken by Ajit Agarkar alone. He stated that Gautam Gambhir’s input would naturally be part of the process.
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“I don’t know what the main cause is. 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,” Tiwary told Sports Today.
“A lot of things happen behind the scenes, which makes 1+1 2. 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,” he added.
I Have Lost Interest in Watching the ODI Games – Manoj Tiwary
Manoj Tiwary said that he has lost interest in watching India’s ODI matches after Rohit Sharma was removed as captain. He also added that the decision to remove a captain who had won the T20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy was unnecessary.
“See, there has been a lot of inconsistency in picking the playing XI, in my opinion. If I have to be brutally honest with you, I have lost interest in watching the ODI games,” Tiwary continued.
“The things that have panned out of late, when the T20 World Cup-winning captain and the Champions Trophy-winning captain is removed from the captaincy, and the responsibility is given to the new guy, which I felt was not required.”
“I have played with Rohit. We have a connection, so I didn’t like how it panned out. I felt it was disrespectful to a cricketer who has given so much to the cricket lovers across the world. From that day, I lost a bit of interest. A lot of controversies, and I feel that is happening because the clarity is not there,” he added.
Rohit Sharma Would Have Ended Up with Three Trophies – Manoj Tiwary
Manoj Tiwary said India narrowly missed another title in 2023, adding that a different result could have given Rohit Sharma three trophies. Tiwary questioned why there were doubts about Rohit’s ability to play the 2027 World Cup, calling it unfair given his record.
“It would have made this decision more sensible, because Rohit is a proven captain. He has won two ICC trophies. We nearly missed out in 2023. I felt Travis Head was lucky; it was his day. If we had won that, Rohit would have ended up with three trophies,” Tiwary stated.
“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.”
Also read: Rohit Sharma left devastated after Rajkot ODI loss vs NZ as crowd erupts with “Humara captain kaisa ho…” chants
