NEW DELHI: India coach Gautam Gambhir has rejected the widely held assumption that he holds "unlimited authority" in team selection and expressed his amusement at being "pitted against his own" after Congress MP Shashi Tharoor described his role as "hardest job after the Prime Minister's".
Tharoor, an avid cricket fan himself, shared a selfie with Gambhir ahead of the first T20I against New Zealand in Nagpur and expressed his admiration for the manner in which the former India opener is performing in his current job despite the relentless scrutiny.
"In Nagpur, enjoyed a good & frank discussion with my old friend @GautamGambhir, the man with the hardest job in India after the PM's! He is being second-guessed by millions daily but stays calm & walks on undaunted. A word of appreciation for his quiet determination and able leadership. Wishing him all success - starting today!" Tharoor tweeted.
Gambhir responded late last night and fleetingly touched upon some of the chatter that has dominated his tenure.
"Thanks a lot Dr @ShashiTharoor! When the dust settles, truth & logic about a coach's supposedly "unlimited authority" will become clear. Till then I'm amused at being pitted against my own who are the very best!" Gambhir wrote on 'X'.
Since Gambhir took charge of the Indian team, the side has seen major changes across all three formats.
From appointing Suryakumar Yadav as India's T20I skipper to the retirements of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin from Test cricket, the team has undergone significant transition.
Shubman Gill was also appointed captain of the Test and ODI side during this time.
Amid all this, there is never-ending speculation about Gambhir's equation with senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both of whom are only playing ODIs after retiring from Tests and T20Is.
Gambhir has also been under pressure for India's poor recent home Test record, including whitewashes against New Zealand and South Africa.