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Former Indian cricketer has publicly criticized India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir, labeling him a “hypocrite” for proceeding with India’s scheduled matches against Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025.
The Indian cricket team is facing huge criticism after they got a clean chit to play against Pakistan in the tournament, which is scheduled to kick off on September 9 in the UAE.
The former cricketer Manoj Tiwary pointed out what he perceives as a contradiction in Gambhir’s stance, referencing the coach’s earlier statements advocating against matches between India and Pakistan.
“I always felt that he’s someone who is a hypocrite. He’s a hypocrite because when he was not the coach of Team India, he’s the one who said that India and Pakistan should never play a match between them,” Tiwary remarked during an interview with CrickTracker.
He further questioned Gambhir’s integrity, asking, “What will he do now? He’s the coach of the team that’s going to play Pakistan in the Asia Cup. Why can’t he just resign and say that I will not be part of Team India because you are playing with Pakistan?”
READ: Asia Cup 2025: Full schedule, groups, stats, and venue announced
In addition to his comments about Gambhir, Tiwary also expressed disappointment over the exclusion of Yashasvi Jaiswal from the Asia Cup squad.
He favored Jaiswal over Shubman Gill, citing Jaiswal’s outstanding performance in IPL 2025, where he scored 559 runs at an average of 43 and a strike rate of 159.70, showcasing his dominance during the powerplay.
Tensions between India and Pakistan, which reignited earlier this year, have spilled over into the cricketing world.
Citing security concerns, the Indian cricket team has refused to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025, demanding that their matches be played at a neutral venue instead.
Later, the May 9 conflict and the Pahalgam terror attack further escalated tensions between two countries, which was visible during the World Championship of Legends (WCL).
The India Champions forfeited their opening match against the Pakistani Champions and later gave a walkover in the semi-final, allowing the Pakistani Champions direct entry into the final. Pakistan eventually lost to the South African champions in the final.
According to NDTV, a senior Indian player, speaking anonymously, has confirmed the walkover decision was intentional. Several former Indian stars — including Irfan Pathan, Shikhar Dhawan, and Harbhajan Singh — also reportedly insisted that Shahid Afridi be kept off the field, even though he was benched throughout the tournament.
With India refusing to play in Pakistan, Pakistan has now reciprocated and pushed tournament organizers to shift the Asia Cup 2025 to a neutral venue in the UAE.
