Manoj Tiwary recently opened up about his tumultuous relationship with former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir during an interview on the Lallantop show on YouTube.
Tiwary, a former India and Bengal batter, didn’t hold back as he recalled fiery run-ins with Gambhir, even calling him a “hypocrite coach.”
The duo shared the dressing room for India and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), including the 2012 IPL-winning team, but Tiwary claims their clashes were frequent and intense.
According to Tiwary, Gambhir often targeted him unjustly during their time at KKR. He recounted a particular incident at Eden Gardens where a heated argument over Tiwary’s batting position escalated.
“I was upset and went to the washroom. He barged in and said, ‘This attitude won’t work. Tujhe kabhi khilaunga nahi (I won’t give you a game).’ He was giving me a threat,” Tiwary revealed.
The situation nearly turned physical, but Wasim Akram, the bowling coach at the time, intervened. “Akram calmed things down; otherwise, haathapai bhi ho sakta tha (it could have led to a physical fight). He understood the situation and told Gambhir to cool down,” Tiwary added.
Tiwary claimed he often faced Gambhir’s unwarranted anger, which he attributed to jealousy over media attention. “When I came to KKR in 2010, we got along well initially. But out of the blue, he would lose his cool with me, use hurtful words, and scold me without reason. I started realizing it was because I was performing consistently, and the media was paying attention to me,” Tiwary explained.
Their clashes weren’t limited to IPL matches. During the 2015 Ranji Trophy, things escalated during a Bengal vs. Delhi game. “He was angry, accusing me of wasting time, and started abusing from slips. He even said, ‘Shaam ko mil, main tujhe maarta hu (Meet me in the evening; I’ll thrash you).’ I responded, ‘Shaam ko kyun? Abhi maar lo (Why wait till evening? Let’s fight now).’ It almost came to blows,” Tiwary recounted.
Tiwary also revealed that Gambhir was often frustrated with him even during practice matches.
Recalling one instance, he said, “In a friendly match against Australia, I scored 129, while he scored 110. Even then, he lost his cool. I was applying sunscreen when he yelled, ‘What are you doing here? Everyone else is on the ground!’ It came out of nowhere.”
Both players have since retired and moved on to politics. Manoj Tiwary joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Bengal after retiring last year, while Gautam Gambhir, who retired in 2018, is now with the BJP and serves as the head coach of the Indian team.
Despite their off-field transitions, the tension between them remains a notable chapter in Indian cricket.