3 times a coach threw the captain under the bus ft. Sulakshan Kulkarni and Sai Kishore
Tamil Nadu coach Sulakshan Kulkarni recently blamed the team's captain Sai Kishore for their Ranji Trophy semifinal loss against Mumbai. He claimed the skipper went against the team management's decision to bowl first and they lost the game at the toss itself.
It's very important for the management, including the coach, data analyst, physiotherapist, and others, to be on the same page with the captain. In a team game, even in adversity, it is expected that the difference in opinions will remain inside the dressing room.
But on some occasions, coaches blamed their captains for the team's loss. Here are some such instances:
#3 Peter Moores reviews Alastair Cook's poor form in the 2014 ODI series
England skipper Alastair Cook was going through a rough patch when he could only manage to score one fifty in his 21 innings in 2014. It was also affecting his captaincy, as England lost six of their last seven ODI series and nine of their last 12 ODIs.
When asked by Sky Sports in December 2014 if Cook would lead the side in the 2015 ODI World Cup, Moores gave a mixed reply, saying:
"We review everything at the end of every series, we've always said that. We've had many things happen on this series and we've got a very new batting line-up with people like Moeen Ali and James Taylor coming in and doing well.
"We make no bones that we're passionate to try and get our best side to go out and win a World Cup. Cook needs runs but he's also had some great times as an England player. He's in a tough patch at the moment but that's something he's working hard to get out of."
Cook, eventually, wasn't part of England's squad for the World Cup, which was led by Eoin Morgan.
#2 The Greg Chappell and Sourav Ganguly Saga, 2003-04
A huge controversy erupted when Indian cricket team head coach Greg Chappell sent an email to the BCCI, criticizing former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly as being "mentally and physically unfit" to lead the team.
Chappell added that Ganguly's "negative attitude" would adversely affect India's preparation for the 2007 World Cup. He also claimed that the injuries suffered by Ganguly were "imaginary."
It all started when Ganguly was reportedly asked by Chappell to step down as captain and focus on his batting. He also reportedly said that his slump in form affected "other areas of his game."
#1 Sulakshan Kulkarni blaming Sai Kishore after Ranji 2023-24 semi-final loss
After the Ranji semi-final loss against Mumbai, the Tamil Nadu coach blamed skipper Sai Kishore for the defeat. He did not mince his words and asserted that his side lost the match at the toss after the captain opted to bat first in helpful conditions for the bowlers.
“I always speak straightforwardly—we lost the match at 9 o’clock on day one. The moment I saw the wicket, I knew exactly what we were going to get. We should have bowled, but the captain had some different instincts.” Kulkarni was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
Tamil Nadu's decision to bat first backfired badly. First, they were reduced to 42/5 in the first inning and were then bundled out for 146. After that, they let Mumbai score 378 and were then all out for 162 in the second innings.