Shubman Gill is Gautam Gambhir's 'Puppet Captain'? Manoj Tiwary's Controversial Claim Ahead of India vs Oman Asia Cup 2025 Match

Asia Cup 2025: Led by Suryakumar Yadav, Team India are yet to put a foot wrong in the ongoing continental tournament in the UAE. In their opening game, they thrashed the UAE and then they humiliated Pakistan in their next game. But, while things are on the right track, former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary has made a controversial claim. 

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As per Tiwary, India coach Gautam Gambhir is someone who apparently likes ‘puppets’. Tiwary, who has spend a lot of time with Gambhir at KKR and the Indian team, has claimed that Shubman Gill was drafted into the Asia Cup squad as the vice-captain due to that reason. 

‘It’s an open secret’

“It’s an open secret that Gautam Gambhir wants a captain who will listen to him. Gill has been brilliant, no doubt, but when Abhishek and Samson were delivering outstanding starts, why disrupt that rhythm? The answer is simple — Gambhir wanted someone who would follow his vision without questioning.”

Whatever it be, the results are coming India's way as of now with Gambhir at the helm. 

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Has Gill Lived Upto Expectations? 

The sample size is small and the targets India were chasing in the two games were also not daunting. 

To be honest, Gill has not been tested as yet. He has scored off 20* off nine balls against the UAE and then he scored merely 10 runs against Pakistan with India chasing 128 to win. India take on Oman in their final group game on September 19, Friday in Dubai. For the unversed, Team India have already booked themselves a spot in the Super 4.