“This is PR which I’m talking about” - Manoj Tiwary’s huge statement on Nitish & Harshit Rana supporting Gautam Gambhir amid BGT 2024-25 loss

Manoj Tiwary has cited the presence of PR behind Nitish Rana and Harshit Rana jumping to head coach Gautam Gambhir's defense following the crushing Test series defeat in Australia recently. Tiwary also claimed that the selection of Harshit Rana for the first two Tests Down Under was 'biased.'

The right-arm pacer played alongside Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah in the opening Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test in Perth, putting on a promising show to bag four wickets in their 295-run win. However, the youngster disappointed in the pink-ball Test, forcing the management to drop him for the remaining matches.

With Nitish and Harshit taking to their social media handles to defend Gambhir, the 39-year-old hit back, remarking that he was not wrong for what he said. Tiwary questioned the logic behind excluding Akash Deep from the outset in Australia, claiming that he did nothing wrong in the preceding series against Bangladesh and New Zealand.

Tiwary said (via Hindustan Times):

"Why wouldn't Nitish Rana and Harshit Rana, for example, not support Gautam Gambhir? Harshit Rana played in Perth in place of Akash Deep. How was that possible? What did Akash Deep do wrong? He bowled fantastic spells against Bangladesh and New Zealand. As a fast bowler, you dream about bowling in friendly conditions, but you dropped him and went in with Harshit, who doesn't have that much first-class experience. Akash Deep has fabulous records. That is a completely biased selection. That is why players will come out and defend him."

"I have said nothing wrong. This is PR which I am talking about. That never used to happen. When something or someone speaks the facts, people come up defending the individual, but they don't know me. I only speak on facts. PR is quite evident," he added.

Akash Deep played in Brisbane and Melbourne and was slightly unlucky, as multiple catches were dropped off his bowling. In two Tests, he picked up five scalps before a back injury ruled him out of the final game in Sydney.

"The process of picking players and selecting them in the playing XI is not happening properly" - Manoj Tiwary on Team India

Manoj Tiwary. (Image Credits: Getty)

Tiwary went on to claim that Gambhir had abused his family during their standoff amid a Ranji Trophy fixture in Delhi in 2015. In the same interview, he said:

"When he fought with me during the Ranji Trophy match in Delhi, everyone heard every word from Gautam Gambhir's mouth. Whether he was talking bad about Sourav Ganguly or whether he was abusing my family, he was protected by a few of the individuals. This is the PR I am talking about."

He added:

"The process of picking players and selecting them in the playing XI is not happening properly. Akash Deep was dropped in favour of Harshit Rana. If you thought Harshit was so good, why didn't you continue with him for the rest of the series? Akash Deep doesn't have a voice."

The next few months loom as a critical one for Gambhir as far as his stint as India's head coach is concerned.