“Is Gambhir in the top 3 annoying cricketers on the planet???” - Shane Warne’s 2013 tweet goes viral after India’s 0-3 whitewash vs NZ
New Zealand handed India a reality check by beating them 3-0 in the recently concluded three-match Test series. After the humiliating loss, the late Shane Warne's old tweet labelling Gautam Gambhir as "annoying", resurfaced.
The Rohit Sharma-led side suffered a whitewash at home for the first time in history in a Test series involving more than two matches. After losing the Bengaluru Test, India failed to make a comeback and ended up losing the matches in Pune and Mumbai too.
After the three consecutive losses, Gautam Gambhir, the India head coach, too faced the heat and received critical comments from former players and pundits alike. With the series concluding 3-0 in favor of New Zealand, an old tweet by the legendary Australia leg spinner started doing rounds online.
During the 2013 edition of the IPL, where Gambhir captained the Kolkata Knight Riders, Warne took to his Twitter (now X) account and wrote:
“Question cricket followers - is Ghambir in the top 3 annoying cricketers on the planet ???”
Warne posted the above tweet after a KKR vs RR match. Gambhir’s reaction to Shane Watson sledging Maninder Bisla didn’t sit well with fans, and neither did Warne take it lightly. When Dravid intervened to handle the situation, what followed was a verbal spat between Gambhir, Bisla, and Dravid.
Gautam Gambhir provided clarity on the matter a day after the match
While Gambhir received critical comments from Warne, he clarified that “no harsh words” were exchanged between him and Dravid. Taking to X (then Twitter), he wrote:
“Guys, u have got it all wrong. No harsh words exchanged between me n Rahul bhai. He was n will always be a respected teammate. No fuss plz.”
“Guess we are always obsessed wid some drama or spice. Sorry none existed between me and rahul. Always respect him," he added in an ensuing tweet.
Gautam Gambhir took over the India men's head coach role from Rahul Dravid in July this year, after the Men in Blue lifted the 2024 T20 World Cup under the latter's mentorship.