NEW DELHI: India head coach Gautam Gambhir drew criticism from all quarters after Shreyas Iyer was left out of the 15-member Asia Cup squad. The latest to slam Gambhir over Iyer's exclusion is former India opener Sadagoppan Ramesh, who has levelled serious charges against the coach.
Ramesh accuses Gambhir of being biased in his approach as head coach - supporting only the players he personally likes while sidelining others like Iyer.
He also downplays Gambhir's recent success, suggesting that India's strong record in overseas conditions began much earlier under Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri, and that Gambhir is unfairly taking credit by projecting the drawn series in England as a major achievement.
"He backs the players he likes but completely lets go of those he doesn't. Winning consistently abroad had started long back under Kohli and Shastri. But now, just the drawn series in England is being projected as a big achievement in Gambhir's track record," Ramesh said on his YouTube channel.
Ramesh further emphasises a contradiction in Gambhir’s approach. He reminds that India's Champions Trophy triumph - Gambhir's biggest coaching achievement - was largely due to Iyer's performances. At the same time, Ramesh stresses that Yashasvi Jaiswal, being an X-factor cricketer, deserves a place in all formats.
"Gambhir's biggest achievement remains the Champions Trophy triumph, and Iyer was the biggest reason for that success. Yet, Gambhir is not backing him. Someone like Jaiswal, who is an X-factor player, must play all formats. Keeping him in standby is a poor move," Ramesh added.
"Shreyas Iyer produced incredible performances in the same UAE during the Champions Trophy and should be a permanent fixture in India's white-ball teams. Players must be backed when they are high on confidence and in form, not when they fade away. This is the ideal time to reap the rewards of Iyer's sky-high confidence," the former opener said.
Iyer has been in sublime form this season, piling up 604 runs in the 2025 IPL at a strike rate of 174 and crossing 300 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at 188.
