Shashi Tharoor's shoutout to India's 'oft-maligned' coach after Asia Cup win: 'Got pretty much everything right this time'

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor congratulated the Indian cricket team's head coach and selectors after the Asia Cup win. (File: PTI)

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday showered rich praise on the Indian cricket team's head coach Gautam Gambhir after India defeated Pakistan in a thriller of a contest in the T20 Asia Cup final on Sunday evening.

Drawing attention to the immense hard work that went into the Indian cricket team's success, Tharoor said that the coach and selectors, who are "always the first to be blamed" when things do not work out, picked the perfect team for the tournament.

"As we rejoice at the thrilling victory in the Asia Cup final last night, let us also pay tribute to the oft-maligned coach, Gautam Gambhir, and the selectors, who picked the perfect team for the tournament. They are always the first to be blamed when things go wrong, but let’s salute them for getting pretty much everything right this time," Tharoor, the Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram, said in a post on X.

India beat Pakistan by 5 wickets to emerge the Asia Cup 2025 champions in a thrilling contest Sunday evening. Batting first, Pakistan scored 146 runs in 19.1 overs, a target India achieved in 19.4 overs with five wickets to spare. This was India's third victory against Pakistan in the tournament.

Tharoor, in a separate post, however, said certain questions deserved to be asked without detracting from India's victory over their arch rivals. "Was it right to break up the hugely successful opening partnership of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, and relegate a three-time centurion to a middle slot where he was uncomfortable? Did (Shubman) Gill's performances at the Asia Cup justify such a change?" Tharoor said questioning the changes brought about in India's batting order.

"Would it not be better to restore Sanju to the place where he has shone for India, put Gill at number three, and have Surya take the number five slot instead?" he further asked.

Notably, Tharoor is possibly the first Congress leader to celebrate India's victory against Pakistan in the Asia Cup final, a contest that the Opposition opposed in view of the recent armed conflict between the two nations and the Indian government's stand on severing ties with the neighbouring nation.

The finale also had its share of drama that went beyond the game as the Indian team refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) who also serves as the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Minister of Interior for Pakistan.

The Indian side, which has refrained from any on- or off-field interactions with the Pakistani team all through the tournament, expressed its reservations about accepting the award from the Pakistan minister who is known for his anti-India views.

Notably, Tharoor had said he differed with the Indian team's decision to not shake hands with their Pakistan counterparts, saying that the behaviour of both sides showed that the "spirit of the game" was missing.