The aftermath of the Indian cricket team’s disastrous T20I tour of the United Kingdom has triggered an absolute firestorm back home. Following a humiliating 4-0 whitewash against a rampant England outfit—a result that knocked India off the top of the ICC T20I rankings for the first time in four years—head coach Gautam Gambhir has found himself in the direct line of fire.
Leading the heavy criticism is out-of-favour Indian batter Hanuma Vihari. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Vihari did not hold back, launching a scathing attack on Gambhir’s tactical acumen and accusing the team management of blatant cronyism and favoritism.
Vihari Questioning Core Squad Contributions
Vihari’s core grievance centers on the selection of specific all-rounders who, in his estimation, add zero balance to the tactical setup. The veteran red-ball specialist specifically named Shivam Dube, young all-rounder Suryansh Shedge, and spin bowling option Washington Sundar, labeling them as “value-less” additions during the dismal away cycle.
“Gautam Gambhir has certain favourite players and he wants to take them and play them,” Vihari stated bluntly. “I don’t see any value in these players added to the side. I don’t understand what some players are doing in the team. Dube does not bowl, cannot field, and has not shown that form in batting either. Shedge was also not impressive in bowling or batting. I have no idea why Washington Sundar is still continuing in the team. If you look at his contributions over the years, it has not been that great.”
Insecurity and Chopping in the Dressing Room
Beyond individual performances, Vihari took massive aim at the management’s hyper-reactive environment. He heavily criticized the treatment of 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was unceremoniously dropped after just three games to bring back Sanju Samson. Vihari pointed out that such constant chopping and changing stands in stark contrast to the stable climate built during Suryakumar Yadav’s T20 World Cup-winning campaign earlier in the year.
Warning the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that domestic Indian Premier League (IPL) performances shouldn’t blind the selectors to raw away conditions, Vihari concluded that the current trajectory is a massive “alarm bell”. With the BCCI reportedly planning a comprehensive post-tour review, Gambhir’s honeymoon period as coach has officially ended in the most turbulent way possible.
