Gautam Gambhir says 12 series and packed schedule have left him mentally drained

India head coach Gautam Gambhir said he had been mentally drained at times but remained capable of handling the pressure after India's seven-wicket defeat to New Zealand in the fifth and final T20I in Hamilton on Sunday.

Gambhir, who has overseen 12 series in 2026, acknowledged the strain of a packed international calendar and said his duties across formats have left him little time away from the game. Even while VVS Laxman took charge of the T20I team at the 2026 Asian Games, Gambhir was overseeing India's ODI side in the home series against the West Indies, and there is little respite with India scheduled to play five ODIs and two Tests against New Zealand.

New Zealand chased down a target of 192 in 18 overs to win the final game, though India had already secured the five-match contest 3-2. The Shreyas Iyer-led side had arrived in New Zealand only a couple of days before the opening match in Christchurch, won the first three matches, and then saw the hosts claim the last two fixtures.

At the post-match press conference, Gambhir said: "In my dictionary, my directory, and my ideology, there is no place for fear, and that word does not exist in my life. I think we are professionals, and I've always believed that there are no excuses." He added that he does not accept excuses despite the workload.

On the demands of the job he said: "From the workload point of view, I know it's tough. It can be very challenging as well. Especially when you are on the road and the kind of pressure you go through. Especially coaching a team like India, and people don't give you an inch. Everyone expects you to win every game, but you need to be realistic as well. I am enjoying it."

Asked if he had felt "mentally cooked" while juggling formats, Gambhir replied: "Yes, I have, to be honest, but I am strong enough to manage that. I'm strong enough to take it for as long as I can. That's how I am built, and I can take pressure; I can take the bullet. But yes, I am a human being; there will be times when I will feel drained out, but till now I have been able to take it."

Gambhir praised the team's start in New Zealand given the preparation constraints, saying: "First of all, it's an incredible effort because boys got only one day to prepare. Different conditions, different weather conditions, different dimensions, playing against a quality side like New Zealand in their backyard with the amount of experience they had in T20 cricket, plus most of the boys touring New Zealand for the first time." He also pointed to the long journey and single practice session, adding: "My view is that after one practice session, after taking a 15-hour flight, if guys can deliver that kind of a performance, especially against a quality side, I think a lot of credit needs to go to this side; this is an achievement which I think we should always talk about."

Gambhir described his work with Abhishek Sharma during the series, particularly on handling New Zealand off-spinner Michael Bracewell, and said he spent significant time with the opener in the nets drawing on his own experience of playing spin. He said: "Obviously, Abhishek has struggled a bit with off-spin. The more he gets better at it, obviously, he will become an overall better player. And you want to keep improving yourself because the opposition keeps studying you. The way you bat, the way you make runs, the speed with which you bat. So if you improve your game, the different areas, if you improve against different bowlers, you will be one step ahead of the opposition. So that's what I was talking about. Because in the first match, when he was bowling off-spin, obviously, he got a little tied up. It was just a very tactical and technical stuff that we spoke about," added Gambhir.

India's immediate schedule includes five ODIs and two Tests against New Zealand, the fixtures Gambhir referenced as leaving little respite in an otherwise congested year.