“There’s no word like ‘gift’ in my vocabulary”: Gautam Gambhir’s gutsy message after India win T20I series against New Zealand

Gautam Gambhir (Image credit: Sahil Malhotra/TimesofIndia.com) NEW DELHI: India head coach Gautam Gambhir had a strong message about his team’s approach to handling pressure after India won the five-match T20I series against New Zealand 3-2, insisting that fear has no place in his vocabulary.“There is no word like ‘dar’ (fear) in my dictionary and address book,” Gambhir said at the post-series press conference following India’s series win.The former India opener also praised his players for the way they responded to the challenging circumstances, especially in the opening match, where they secured a win despite a tough travel schedule and limited preparation time.“The way our boys handled the pressure to win the first match after a 15-hour flight and one training session was commendable,” Gambhir said.India won the first three matches to take an unassailable lead in the series before New Zealand bounced back with victories in the last two encounters. Still, the 3-2 result gave India a series triumph away from home, with Gambhir highlighting the team’s ability to embrace pressure rather than back down from it.

Gambhir on Rishabh Pant’s injury update

Gambhir was also asked about the availability of Rishabh Pant, but the India head coach did not have a definitive update on the wicketkeeper-batsman.“I don’t have an update on Rishabh Pant yet, I will share when I get it,” Gambhir said.The comment left Pant’s immediate availability uncertain, with the team awaiting further information on his status.

Shreyas Iyer identifies areas that India needs to improve

India captain Shreyas Iyer acknowledged that despite winning the series, there are areas of concern, especially the bowling and fielding, after the visitors lost the last two matches.“We could have still done better with our bowling and fielding. We were a bit sloppy but we learned great. Coming overseas, coming to New Zealand, playing on such different occasions, on different pitches, it was a great learning curve,” Iyer said at the post-match presentation.Iyer also explained that the first three wins gave India an opportunity to experiment and challenge themselves in the last two games.“The first three games were absolutely learning the rhythm for us. And then the last two games I feel like we were in that position where we wanted to experiment and also challenge ourselves a little bit more.”“And today was the right opportunity and of course we didn’t deliver, but great learning as I mentioned,” he said.The skipper further identified fielding as an area that requires special attention, especially when playing in unfamiliar conditions.“I don’t want to think too much about it because we have ODIs to play, but the boys are in good spirits,” he said.“It’s definitely something when you come overseas, you’re exposed to different aspects of the game. And the more you take the bull by the horns, the better.“We can brainstorm and we need to work on a few things, especially in the field. That’s one aspect of the game we need to improve. But to be honest, it’s not that easy when you get under such dark lights, bright skies. You don’t get much in India, but it’s a great learning curve.”