Gautam Gambhir, the current head coach of the Indian cricket team, is facing a significant allegation from former Indian opener Sadagoppan Ramesh regarding favoritism and biased player selection. The accusation centers around Gambhir's alleged lack of support for Shreyas Iyer's inclusion in the Asia Cup squad, despite Iyer's strong performance in recent tournaments.

Ramesh, speaking on his YouTube channel, claimed that Gambhir "backs the players he likes but completely lets go of those he doesn't". This statement implies that Gambhir's decisions are influenced by personal preferences rather than solely based on merit and performance. Iyer's exclusion from the Asia Cup squad has sparked widespread outrage, especially considering his impressive track record. In the 2025 IPL season, Iyer amassed 604 runs at a strike rate of 174, and he also scored over 300 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with a strike rate of 188. Despite these statistics, he was overlooked for the Asia Cup, which is scheduled to begin on September 9 in the UAE.

Ramesh further argued that there's a false narrative being created around India's 2-2 draw in the recent Test series in England. While the drawn series was celebrated as a significant achievement for a young Indian side, led by Shubman Gill in the absence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Ramesh pointed out that such praise is only highlighted because India struggled in Tests last year under Gambhir. He reminded everyone that India's consistent success overseas began during the Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri era.

Adding to the discussion, Ramesh credited Iyer as the decisive factor in India's Champions Trophy win earlier this year. Iyer scored 243 runs, the most by any Indian and second overall behind New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra, to lead India to the title. This further strengthens the argument that Iyer's exclusion from the Asia Cup squad is questionable, given his proven ability to perform under pressure and contribute significantly to the team's success.

This isn't the first time Gambhir's conduct has come under scrutiny. He was recently involved in a verbal altercation with The Oval's groundstaff, leading to the possibility of a formal complaint. The incident reportedly stemmed from differing views on pitch conditions and team access during preparation. In 2017, Gambhir faced a four-game ban for "Seriously Inappropriate Behaviour" after an altercation with coach KP Bhaskar Pillai during his time as captain of the Delhi side.

Furthermore, an anonymous BCCI official has alleged misuse of perks by Gambhir since he took over as head coach. The official claimed that Gambhir's personal assistant was using facilities designated for national selectors and support staff. These allegations, along with the recent accusations of favoritism, raise questions about Gambhir's management style and his ability to maintain a fair and unbiased environment within the team. It remains to be seen how Gambhir and the BCCI will respond to these allegations and whether they will address the concerns raised about Iyer's exclusion and Gambhir's overall conduct as head coach.