Sanjay Manjrekar Slams Gautam Gambhir: 'Take A Chill Pill, Be Open To...'
Sanjay Manjrekar has asked Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir to 'take a chill pill' and 'relax' a bit over the latter's staunch comments against Shubman Gill in the aftermath of the Old Trafford Test. Manjreker even went on to say that all of India's success in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy has not come because of Gambhir's tactics, but despite them, for the coach has made things difficult for the young side with his selections.
India secured a fighting draw at Old Trafford after conceding a 311-run lead in the first innings and going down 0/2 in the second. Gill, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja all scored brilliant centuries. Soon after, Gambhir declared to media that anyone who had doubts over Gill didn't 'understand cricket'. Manjrekar being one who wanted Jasprit Bumrah to take over from Rohit Sharma instead of Gill, wasn't pleased.
'Yeah, you can tell there are certain questions that get under his skin – especially when people question Gill as a young captain and batter. And honestly, those are valid doubts. Even people who deeply understand cricket wonder whether this was the right time to hand him that opportunity. I just hope we can all understand this better," Manjrekar said, as quoted by PTI.
'It's not about 'you guys think' and 'we think' – we're all part of the same industry and the same country. I'd just like to see him take a chill pill, relax a bit, and be open to tough questions. Whether that will happen, I'm not sure," he added.
Gambhir was also asked about Karun Nair being left out of the team for Sai Sudharsan, to which he said the team doesn't believe in 'dropping' players, and only selecting the 'best 11'.
'And to suggest that Karun Nair 'wasn't dropped'… come on. You guys see it as a drop; for them, it's about 'picking the right team'. If someone is dropped, he is dropped," Manjrekar said.
India's fight is down to players, not Gambhir: Manjrekar
For Manjrekar, the Old Trafford draw couldn't hide the fact that Gambhir had still won just four of his 14 Tests in charge.
'I feel India has done well despite some of his (Gambhir) tactical decisions. Let's not forget: India lost 3-0 at home (to) New Zealand, lost comfortably to Australia (away). The fight we've seen in this team? That's down to the players. Because tactically, Gambhir hasn't always made things easier – especially with some of his selections," he added.
India go to the final Test with a chance to level the series 2-2. It'll begin on July 31 at the Oval, London.
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First Published:
July 28, 2025, 17:06 IST
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