Gambhir tells Shreyas Iyer-led T20 side they have 'set the tone' after 3-2 win in New Zealand
In Hamilton on November 2, 2026, India head coach Gautam Gambhir told the Shreyas Iyer-led T20 side they had set the tone for the rest of the tour after India beat New Zealand 3-2 in the five-match Twenty20 series.
India completed the 3-2 series victory despite arriving in New Zealand only a couple of days before the opening match and having minimal time to rest and recover between fixtures played at four different venues. Gambhir addressed the players in the dressing room after the final game; the video of his speech was shared by the BCCI on its social media handles. His remarks covered both praise for the current squad and expectations for players due to feature in the upcoming white-ball and Test assignments.
Gambhir opened his address by commending the effort of the tour party, saying: "You can be extremely proud of the effort that you guys have given in this series. Winning the series especially when you got one day to prepare and playing against a quality team like New Zealand in their own backyard... you can be extremely proud and go back with your head held high," Gambhir said in a dressing room speech, the video of which was shared by the BCCI on its social media handles.
He acknowledged squad ambitions while stressing the series' wider purpose within the tour, telling players: "Yes you wanted to win the last two as well but sometimes these things can happen. But I thought you guys have set the tone for the rest of the tour. Before the start of the series I said that you guys have the responsibility to set the tone. Now it is up to the One-Day guys and Test guys to continue from where you guys have left," he added.
Gambhir also urged the T20 group to maintain fitness and form during the scheduled break, linking that to future commitments: "Make sure that we keep improving, that is something that is going to be important. We know that we don't play enough T20 cricket. We got a month off now, so make sure that you stay in that shape and we get prepared. "We continue to grow as a team, we continue to think as a team and we continue to play as a team," Gambhir signed off.
The five-match ODI series begins on Wednesday and will be followed by a couple of Tests starting on November 19.
