Following India's hard-fought 3-2 T20 International series triumph over New Zealand, head coach Gautam Gambhir publicly lauded captain Shreyas Iyer's exceptional leadership. Speaking at the post-match press conference in Hamilton on Sunday, Gambhir specifically commended Iyer for his 'phenomenal job' at the helm of a team featuring a notably inexperienced bowling lineup.
The series victory saw India take an unassailable 3-0 lead before dropping the final two matches. This achievement came despite significant hurdles, including a depleted bowling attack missing key players like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Harshit Rana, and Washington Sundar. Furthermore, the squad faced a gruelling schedule, arriving in New Zealand on October 20th and having just one day to prepare for their first T20I on October 22nd, immediately following a five-match series against the West Indies that concluded on October 17th.
Gambhir emphasized the challenging context, noting that many players were touring New Zealand for the first time and had minimal opportunity to adapt to different conditions and dimensions. "When he took over, he inherited a very successful team," Gambhir stated, "but after the World Cup, we faced challenging opposition and gave many new guys opportunities. We lacked a lot of experience, especially touring places like England and New Zealand."
The coach highlighted the strategic decision to blood young talent with an eye on future World Cups. "This is a great opportunity," he explained. "If you're building for the next World Cup, you've got to give young players opportunities and develop them on the road." He reiterated his praise for Iyer's ability to guide the team despite the bowling inexperience, stating, "Shreyas has done a fabulous job with so much inexperience in the bowling lineup because as a captain, you're only as good as how your bowlers or your batters perform." Gambhir also acknowledged the team's aggressive batting style, which he believes has set trends in the format, and expressed immense pride in the squad's collective effort under such demanding circumstances.
Image: Wikipedia — Gautam Gambhir
📰 Source: Mangalorean News