Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary and current India head coach Gautam Gambhir have a troubled history, with the duo famously clashing on the field during a Ranji Trophy match at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi in 2015. However, Tiwary has now revealed that it wasn't the first time he's had a run-in with the senior Indian professional and has spoken of how Gambhir has threatened him in the past.
During a recent interview with Lallantop, Tiwary stated that he and Gambhir had a pleasant relationship when the Bengal-based cricketer made his debut for KKR in 2010 but the relationship slowly turned sour.
"I would get scolded without any reason. I couldn't understand why he would target me. In fact, when I came to KKR in 2010, he and I got along nicely. But then he would lose his cool at me out of the blue. He would use very hurtful words. Then, when I started thinking about it, I realised that out of all the local boys at KKR, I was the one who used to perform consistently. And since I was a promising youngster, the media was giving me attention. So, he didn't react to it well. That is what I believe," Tiwary told Lallantop
While the 2015 on-field drama caught all the limelight, Tiwary revealed that he also had a fight with Gambhir after an IPL match. He said, “Leading up to our fight at the 2015 Ranji Trophy, he was angry at me. In KKR, we had an argument. I was constantly getting demoted in the KKR batting order. In one of the friendly matches against Australia, I was the highest scorer. I had scored 129, while he [Gambhir] scored 110. Even then, he lost his cool. I was applying sunscreen when he came to me and shouted, 'What are you doing here? Everybody else is on the ground'. Out of nowhere.”
The former KKR batter also said that Gambhir went on to threaten him and said he would never pick him in the side.
"Once, we had a heated argument about my batting position at the Eden Gardens. I was upset and had gone to the washroom. He barged in and said 'This attitude won't work. Tujhe kabhi khilaunga nahi (I won't give you a game). This and that. I never liked such words. He was giving me a threat. Aaj ke baad, tujhe kabhi khilaunga nahi. Wasim Akram also came in. He was our bowling coach, so he calmed things down. He said ‘You are the captain. Cool down’" Tiwary added
Tiwary later said that he was not retained for the next IPL season in 2023 and also not picked during the auction.
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