'He backs players he likes but lets go of those he doesn't.'
The debate over Shreyas Iyer's omission from the Asia Cup has taken a new turn, with former India opener Sadagoppan Ramesh accusing Coach Gautam Gambhir of favouritism and failing to back the in-form batter.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ramesh said a misleading narrative was being created around India's recent 2-2 Test series draw in England under new skipper Shubman Gill.
While the result was celebrated as a significant achievement for a young side missing Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Ramesh argued it was being exaggerated only because India had faltered in Tests last year with Gambhir at the helm. He reminded fans that India's success overseas began during the Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri era.
'He (Gambhir) backs the players he likes but completely lets go of those he doesn't,' Ramesh said.
'Winning consistently abroad had started long back under Kohli and Shastri. But now, just the drawn series in England is being projected as a big achievement in Gambhir's track record.'
Ramesh criticised Gambhir's lack of support for Iyer despite his match-winning contributions.
'Gambhir's biggest achievement remains the Champions Trophy triumph, and Iyer was the biggest reason for that success. Yet, Gambhir is not backing him. Someone like Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is an X-factor player, must play all formats. Keeping him on standby is a poor move,' Ramesh remarked.
Emphasising Iyer's current form, Ramesh added, 'Shreyas Iyer produced incredible performances in the same UAE during the Champions Trophy and should be a permanent fixture in India's white-ball teams.
'Players must be backed when they are high on confidence and in form, not when they fade away. This is the ideal time to reap the rewards of Iyer's sky-high confidence.'
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