India’s captain Shreyas Iyer and coach Gautam Gambhir. (PTI Photo)
NEW DELHI: India head coach Gautam Gambhir underlined the importance of collective effort after India clinched the five-match T20I series against New Zealand 3-2, taking to social media to share a short but emphatic message following the team’s series triumph. India had taken an unassailable 3-0 lead by winning the first three matches, but New Zealand fought back to claim the final two encounters. The hosts chased down the target in 18 overs, winning by seven wickets. Tim Seifert smashed 93 off 50 balls, while Glenn Phillips remained unbeaten on 65 off 38 deliveries. The pair added 86 runs for the third wicket to put New Zealand firmly in control. Despite the defeat in the final match, India walked away with the series 3-2.
Won as a Team. “Built as a Team. The hosts’ victory in Hamilton, however, was not enough to prevent India from securing the series. The India head coach also praised the team’s response in the opening match, pointing to the difficult circumstances under which they began the series. Gambhir’s message captured the approach he wanted to highlight: the achievement belonged to the team as a whole, rather than individual performances.
Always for India,” Gambhir wrote on X after India sealed the series despite losing the fifth and final T20I by seven wickets at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday.