India won the match in Guwahati ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, as well as the 5-match T20I series against New Zealand. 3 consecutive wins was much needed due to team morale. The team’s morale, as well as that of head coach Gautam Gambhir, should be at a high level ahead of this high-octane tournament.
Team India’s confidence took a huge blow when the New Zealand cricket team, with many unskilled talents in their team, emerged victorious in the 3-match ODI series. After which a series of criticisms started targeting Gautam Gambhir on social media platforms. This was not the first time for Gautam Gambhir to deal with critics.
Gautam Gambhir had to face a lot of criticism
Ever since Gautam Gambhir joined Team India as the head coach, the team has faced a lot of ups and downs. While the Men in Blue have continued to dominate in the T20I format, they have suffered setbacks on several occasions in Tests and ODIs. Cricket fans on social media platforms requested BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) to remove Gautam Gambhir from the job.
But the board has faith in the former cricketer and the reason for keeping faith in him before the T20 World Cup 2026 is clear. Under Gambhir’s coaching, the team may have suffered a lot of losses in Tests and ODIs, but the team continues to dominate the shorter format of the game, which is very important before the T20 World Cup 2026 tournament. India will enter the tournament as the defending champions and will be a strong contender to retain the title.
After the India vs New Zealand 3rd T20 match, veteran Indian batsman Ajinkya Rahane has a suggestion for Gambhir. Rahane suggested the former cricketer and current head coach to stay away from social media platforms to stay away from unnecessary thoughts. Ajinkya Rahane believes that coaching Team India is a very responsible duty.
“My only reaction to this is that GG should probably stay away from social media. Maybe I am not thinking too much about what people are saying about him or telling him. He played his cricket brilliantly and now he is coaching Team India, which is a very responsible job,” Rahane said on Cricbuzz, reacting to Gambhir’s recent tweet, where he talked about not having unlimited authority in the team.
“He should stay away from social media and focus on the team. This is my personal opinion. Let’s focus on the main thing: stay away from social media until the World Cup is over,” he said.
Many poor performances under Gambhir’s coaching
During his tenure, India was defeated by New Zealand in a three-match Test series on home soil, and the team also lost a two-match Test series against South Africa.
The team also faced defeat against Sri Lanka and New Zealand in ODIs. On both occasions India were the better team on paper, but failed to perform.
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