Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary has once again targeted Gautam Gambhir and questioned his credentials as a coach. He claimed that Gambhir is "not the right choice" for the top position and that he is only skilled in coaching IPL teams, using the team's recent setbacks as evidence.

Tiwary, who had a dressing room altercation with Gambhir during their India and IPL playing days, took note of these reversals since he was appointed coach after India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in ten years.

"See, the results are there to be seen. Results don’t lie. Numbers don’t lie. The record speaks for itself. He has not been able to carry on the good work that Rahul Dravid did. It will take a lot of time for him to get on the track or to winning ways. Because I don’t see any experience behind his coaching the Indian team. In Test cricket or one-day series, I don’t think he has any experience of coaching, to be honest,” Tiwary remarked as per PTI.

India lost an ODI series against Sri Lanka for the first time in 27 years under Gambhir, and they reached a new low when they were humiliated 0–3 at home by New Zealand, which had never happened in the nation's cricket history.

Tiwary believes people with enough experience in coaching, such as VVS Laxman and Sairaj Bahutule, would have been the ideal choice for the India job.

“I think VVS Laxman and Sairaj Bahutule… these guys were in line to be the next head coach. And these guys have been with the NCA for so many years. When Rahul Dravid was not available, the next coach was an automatic choice. So, that process was getting followed. And in between how Gambhir came in, nobody knows. So, this result is bound to happen.

When someone who does not have any experience comes up and takes up the job… And knowing him, how aggressive he is as an individual in certain aspects, this result is bound to happen," Tiwary said.

When the topic of R Ashwin's sudden withdrawal from the game during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia came up, Tiwary stated that the team management had not handled the situation appropriately.

“I see Ashwin was insulted. See players like Washington Sundar and Tanush Kotian… they are all quality spinners and performed well in first-class cricket. But when you have a player of Ashwin’s caliber, what is the need for you to bring in Washington in the home series where Ashwin is there, Jadeja is there, and Kuldeep is there, and make him bowl more overs than Ashwin?

Is that not an insult to Ashwin? “Will he just carry on after giving so many match-winning performances? He will not come and say that because he is a nice guy. But one day he will definitely come out, and he will share his experience. This is not the right process. They are also players, and they also need some patting on the back and dignity as well," Tiwary said.

Tiwary represented India in 12 ODIs and scored an unbeaten hundred and a half-century in the format. He also appeared in three T20 Internationals.

(PTI inputs)