Gautam Gambhir's strong-willed nature has definitely brought him a lot of achievements, but it’s also gotten him into some sticky situations. While the hype around his rivalries with MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli might be exaggerated, it’s no secret that he and Manoj Tiwary didn’t see eye to eye. Their notorious clash during the 2015 Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Bengal at Feroz Shah Kotla became one of the most talked-about incidents in Indian cricket history. But this wasn’t their first run-in; it was just another episode in their ongoing feud.

Tiwary hasn’t held back from calling out Gambhir in the past, and in a recent interview, he took another jab at his former teammate. Reflecting on his time with Kolkata Knight Riders, Tiwary mentioned how they initially got along well, but things took a turn for the worse.

"I would get yelled at for no reason. I couldn’t figure out why he had it out for me. When I joined KKR in 2010, we were cool, but then he would just snap at me unexpectedly. He’d say some pretty harsh things. After thinking it over, I realized that among all the local players at KKR, I was the one consistently performing. Being a promising young player, I was getting media attention, and I think that didn’t sit well with him," Tiwary shared on Lallantop.

"Before our fight in the 2015 Ranji Trophy, he was already upset with me. We had a disagreement at KKR, and I kept getting pushed down the batting order. In a practice match against Australia, I scored 129, while he got 110. Even then, he lost it. I was just putting on sunscreen when he came over and yelled, 'What are you doing here? Everyone else is on the field!' It came out of nowhere."

The conflict that strained the relationship between Gambhir and Tiwary

Gambhir and Tiwary have had their share of disagreements in the past, but a confrontation witnessed by KKR's assistant coach Wasim Akram seems to have put a permanent strain on their relationship. Tiwary alleges that Gambhir threatened him, saying he would never play for KKR again. This incident really messed up their dynamic for good.

Tiwary recalled a specific argument they had about his batting position at Eden Gardens. He was frustrated and went to the restroom, but Gambhir followed him in and said, "This attitude won't work. I won't give you a game." Tiwary felt that was a direct threat. Wasim Akram, who was our bowling coach at the time, stepped in to diffuse the situation, reminding Gambhir to keep his cool. He had previously praised Tiwary's talent, so he understood the tension.

Tiwary mentioned that he didn’t talk to team owner Shah Rukh Khan about the issue, but that restroom incident was a turning point that led to events at the Kotla two years later in 2015. After their clash in 2013, Tiwary was let go by KKR the following year and went on to play for the Delhi Capitals (formerly Daredevils) for the next two seasons.

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