‘Who is going to be accountable?’ – Manoj Tiwary takes indirect dig at management after India’s series defeat to Ireland

Former batter Manoj Tiwary has urged that the main problem surrounding the management be addressed after India’s T20I series defeat at the hands of Ireland. The Men in Blue came out second best in the two-match series, losing 2-0.

Tiwary raised the question of which stakeholder will take responsibility for India’s defeat to Ireland. The former international batter labelled the backroom staff, led by coach Gautam Gambhir, as the main elephant in the room which needs to be looked at. He also claimed that the blame should not be directed towards new captain Shreyas Iyer, as he was not the only batter to have a poor showing on Irish soil. The 40-year-old, instead, wants the fingers to be pointed towards the coach. 

“India might go on to win the World Cup in South Africa. But what about the T20I series lost against Ireland? Who is going to be accountable for it? I told you to address the elephant in the room, but no one believed my words. I know that PR agencies and friends of the so-called decision-maker will start pinpointing the blame on Shreyas Iyer,” Manoj Tiwary said in a video posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account.

“It’s not only Shreyas Iyer’s fault as a batter, but it is also the fault of the other batters who were not able to perform. The mechanism will corner and pinpoint Shreyas Iyer for this series loss. It is not the players, but the elephant sitting quietly in the dressing room, and most of the time going unaddressed. It is high time that we address this issue,” Tiwary added. 

India came into the series against Ireland as two-time defending T20 champions, but failed to live up to the tag. Despite some decent bowling, the batters had a poor time in both games of the series, having failed to understand the pitch and conditions on offer. 

Iyer’s side will now travel across the Irish Sea to play a five-time T20I series against England, starting from July 1.