"Lost 5 ODIs In 9": Ajinkya Rahane Grills Gautam Gambhir After New Zealand Series Defeat

Head coach Gautam Gambhir is facing significant criticism on social media after India's ODI series loss to New Zealand. After taking a 1-0 lead, Shubman Gill and his team failed to capitalise on the strong start and eventually lost the series 1-2. The third and final ODI in Indore proved to be the most painful defeat, as India fell short of 41 runs while chasing 338. Star batter Virat Kohli played a brilliant knock of 124 but couldn't take the team over the line.

This was India's first home ODI series loss to New Zealand and their third defeat under Gambhir's coaching, following previous losses to Sri Lanka and Australia. Amid the growing backlash, veteran India batter Ajinkya Rahane offered an important piece of advice to Gambhir.

Speaking on Cricbuzz, Rahane said that frequent changes in the playing XI were a major reason behind India's struggles. He stressed that with the 2027 World Cup in mind, players need clarity and security regarding their roles.

"See, there will be tough questions. India lost five ODIs in the last nine. And that's the reason: too many changes. Again, that's why I said you are looking at the World Cup, where players actually need that security, that clarity from management. If you are going to play certain players in that format, it's always about clarity," Rahane said on Cricbuzz.

"So yes, tough questions will be asked, which is very natural, I feel, because the fans are so connected to Indian cricket. Everyone wants India to do well - to win matches and win series, especially at home. Playing against New Zealand, which was probably a New Zealand A or B team - with due respect to all the players - expectations were that India would win easily, probably 3-0," he added.

India's next ODI assignment is at least six months away. Rahane suggested that during this break, the management should assess and back the players they want in the long-term setup.

"But the way New Zealand played was amazing. So there will be questions - tough questions. But I feel, from India's point of view, they just need to follow the process. Identify which players you are going to back, because six months down the line you're going to play ODI cricket again. You have time. After the T20s, there's nothing at all," Rahane said.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team New Zealand Cricket Team Gautam Gambhir Shubman Gill Ajinkya Rahane India vs New Zealand 2026 Cricket