Gautam Gambhir: Shreyas Iyer’s T20 team set tone for NZ tour

India head coach Gautam Gambhir said the T20 side led by Shreyas Iyer set the tone for the ODI and Test assignments still to come on the New Zealand tour. India won the T20I series 3-2 despite landing only a couple of days before the opener and having little time to rest between games at four venues.

India lost the final T20I at Seddon Park in Hamilton by seven wickets on 1 November, but the three wins in the first three games had already sealed the series.

Gambhir’s message

In a dressing-room speech, Gambhir told the T20 players they could be extremely proud and go home with their heads held high. The BCCI shared the video on its social media handles.

He also said India do not play enough T20 cricket, and asked the players to stay in shape and be prepared during their month off. Their next assignment is a home series against Sri Lanka in December.

How the series ended

India won the first three T20Is, by 4 wickets on 22 October, by 4 wickets on 24 October and by 6 wickets on 27 October. New Zealand hit back with an 87-run win on 30 October, when they made 259/7, and then the seven-wicket win in Hamilton.

In the decider, India made 191/8 after batting first. Ishan Kishan scored 61 off 32 balls and Shreyas Iyer 50 off 23. Adam Milne took 4 for 19 for New Zealand, who reached 195/3 in 18 overs.

What’s next

The five-match ODI series begins on Wednesday, 4 November, at 7:30 AM IST, with the second ODI on 7 November and the third on 10 November. Two Tests follow, the first in Wellington on 19 November.

The T20 group’s next game is the first of three T20Is against Sri Lanka at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Tuesday, 22 December, at 7:00 PM IST. The other two are in Cuttack on 24 December and Pune on 27 December.