'Apna jack laga ke aaya': Ex-India star accuses Gautam Gambhir of disrespecting Sourav Ganguly, makes shocking claim

Amidst widespread criticism following a tumultuous start to his tenure as head coach of the Indian cricket team, Gautam Gambhir found himself embroiled in controversy for allegedly disrespecting former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly during a Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Bengal in 2015 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

The altercation between Gambhir and Manoj Tiwary garnered national attention, with Tiwary subsequently accusing the then-Delhi captain of questioning Ganguly's appointment as President of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).

The incident not only sparked a heated exchange between the two players but also raised questions about Gambhir's conduct and sportsmanship on the field.

"When he was constantly abusing, I remember Sourav Ganguly had just joined CAB (Cricket Association of Bengal). He was speaking rubbish about him too. He said things like 'Woh apna jack laga ke aa gaya. Tu bhi uske peeche aa gaya? Tu bhi yeh sab karke pohuch gaya. (He used his sources to reach where he has, and you too followed him? You are doing the game')," said Tiwary in an interaction with the Lallantop.

Tiwary revealed that he had updated Ganguly on the incident and mentioned the reaction of the former President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), who seemed to minimize the situation.

"When I told Dada, he said 'theek hai' (It's fine). My duty was to convey it to him. You can see that he [Gambhir] has an anger issue. After that day, there's no scope for us to talk or meet," Tiwary added.

Under Gambhir's leadership, Tiwary played a crucial role in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad that won the 2012 Indian Premier League (IPL) championship. By scoring the game-winning runs in the final, the Bengal batsman significantly contributed to KKR's first championship victory over the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

When reflecting on his time with Gambhir, Tiwary recalled a particularly memorable incident from a Ranji Trophy match in which the two players were in a heated argument that almost resulted in physical altercations.

"I have never heard anybody give such abuses. If anybody abuses your mother, you should not take it lying down. I am not a person who can handle abuses quietly. I asked him, 'Gauti bhai, why are you talking like this?'. Then the over got over. Then I lost cool. He said, 'Meet me in the evening, I will thrash you'. I said, 'Why evening? let's do it now.' The match was in Delhi. No player ever talked to me in that way. All media persons present heard all the words that came out of his mouth," said Tiwary.

"The umpire came in between and he pushed away him too. Then the over ended and I was at the non-striker's end. He came to mid-off and started abusing me again. Umpires can't do much. He is a big player, and they are afraid he can use his influence against them," Tiwary added.

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