'Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma were forced out': Ex-India star drops bombshell, blames Gautam Gambhir's team atmosphere for retirements

India has recently faced a disheartening defeat on home soil against South Africa in the opening Test of their two-match series at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. This marks India's fourth home loss in Tests under head coach Gautam Gambhir, who has now recorded more defeats than victories. The Indian batting lineup has struggled on the spin-friendly pitches that Gambhir has preferred. Nevertheless, he has consistently stated that the team is youthful and undergoing a transition, particularly following the retirements of both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the longest format earlier this year. Former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary has now pointed the finger at Gambhir for the departures of Rohit and Virat.

In an interview with India Today, Manoj Tiwary expressed his belief that India does not require a transition phase given the abundance of talent available in domestic cricket. He argues that it is this perceived 'transition' under Gambhir that has led to both Rohit and Virat stepping away from Test cricket for India.

“This whole ‘transition phase’ talk—I don’t agree with it. India doesn’t need a transition. New Zealand or Zimbabwe need transition. Our domestic cricket is full of talented performers waiting for chances. Because of this unnecessary transition, our star players—like Virat and Rohit—who wanted to keep playing Test cricket and protect its sanctity, slowly stepped back because of the atmosphere created around them," Tiwary said.

Following the conclusion of the Kolkata Test Match, Gautam Gambhir attributed the team's embarrassing defeat solely to the batters, criticizing their inability to handle the spin-friendly conditions at Eden Gardens. In response, Manoj Tiwary condemned Gambhir's remarks, arguing that he should have better prepared the players, especially considering that the Indian head coach was an exceptional player against spin bowling himself.

“You cannot blame players’ technique after losing. As a coach, your job is to teach, not to blame. If the batters didn’t have solid defence, why weren’t they trained before the match? When he played, Gambhir himself was a good player of spin, so he should teach more. The results aren’t in India’s favour," Tiwary added.

India is currently confronted with a significant challenge following their defeat in the first Test in Kolkata against South Africa. The upcoming second Test in Guwahati is now critical for them to prevent a second consecutive home series loss.

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