Ajinkya Rahane Advises Gautam Gambhir to Avoid Social Media

Ajinkya Rahane, a veteran Indian cricketer, has called on head coach Gautam Gambhir to “stay away from social media” and not pay too much attention to the online chatter surrounding him. This comes after Gambhir made headlines with his response to a tweet by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, which appeared to address the ongoing rumors about tensions between Gambhir and senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Tharoor and Gambhir met before the first T20I between India and New Zealand in Nagpur. During their meeting, Tharoor described Gambhir as having the second-most difficult job in the country, just behind the Prime Minister. In response to Tharoor’s comments, Gambhir remarked that over time, people would come to understand that there is no such thing as a coach having “unlimited authority.” He also expressed amusement at reports suggesting he might not be getting along with certain team members.

Gambhir’s statement sparked a wave of reactions online, and now Rahane has also entered the conversation. However, instead of commenting directly on the controversy, Rahane urged Gambhir to focus on the upcoming T20 World Cup and not let the noise distract him from his responsibilities.

Focus on the Team

Rahane emphasized that the role of a head coach is a significant one, and the primary responsibility should be on the team’s performance. He suggested that Gambhir should avoid getting caught up in social media discussions and instead concentrate on preparing the team for the challenges ahead.

“My only response to this is that GG should probably stay away from social media. Probably not think too much about what people are saying about him or telling him. He played his cricket in a great manner, and now he’s coaching Team India, which is a very responsible job,” Rahane said on Cricbuzz.

“He should stay away from social media and focus on the team. That’s my personal opinion. Let’s just focus on the main thing: stay away from social media till the World Cup is over,” he added.

Criticism Faced by Gambhir

Since taking charge of the Indian team, Gambhir has faced frequent criticism on social media. Under his leadership, India suffered a 3-0 loss to New Zealand in a Test series on home soil, and the team also lost a two-match Test series against South Africa.

India further struggled in the ODI format, losing the series against Sri Lanka in 2024 and then again against New Zealand earlier this month. The latter match was against a weakened Black Caps side, while India fielded a nearly full-strength team without Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya.

There have been growing concerns that Gambhir may not be getting along well with senior players like Kohli and Sharma, who primarily play in the ODI format. After their retirements from Test cricket, there was intense debate about whether they could still keep up with the demands of international cricket. However, both players proved their critics wrong by scoring runs in the nine ODIs against Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand.

With Kohli and Sharma performing consistently, many fans directed their frustration toward Gambhir. The criticism continued for months, and his response to Tharoor’s tweet was seen as a sign that he was finally addressing the issue publicly.