Island Cricket trolls Gambhir after India’s historic series loss against Ireland

India’s historic 0-2 defeat in the T20I series against Ireland drew criticism from head coach Gautam Gambhir on Monday, June 29, with Iceland Cricket’s social media account joining a barrage of viral posts mocking India’s performance.

Playing their first bilateral assignment after winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup T20, India came to Ireland with a star-studded squad but failed to win either of the two matches in Belfast. The result marked one of India’s most disappointing T20I results against opposition they have historically dominated.

Island Cricket, who is known for his chatty posts and sharp cricketing humour, took aim at Gambhir after the series defeat.

“We can confirm that we do not wish to add Gautam Gambhir to our coaching staff. However, he clearly has talent. It takes some truly remarkable gifts to take those Indian players and achieve these results in Ireland,” the X account said.

The post quickly gained traction online as fans reacted to India’s unexpected defeat.

India’s batting line-up failed to make an impact in both the matches despite carrying several established names. Under new captain Shreyas Iyer, India struggled to assert themselves and never gained complete control of the series.

Sanju Samson, who played a major role in India’s T20 World Cup triumph earlier this year and was named the Player of the Tournament, endured a tough outing in Ireland, posting low scores in both matches.

The result also restored control over team selection after 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was left unused despite arriving in the series in strong form following his record-breaking performances for India A.

Gambhir, who took charge of India after the World Cup victory, defended the management’s approach and encouraged the team to remain patient with selection challenges as the new cycle begins.

India will now set their sights on a significantly tougher challenge against England. The team is scheduled to play a white-ball series comprising five T20Is and three ODIs, with questions already being raised about the combinations and whether there will be changes after the failure in Ireland.

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Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

June 29, 2026 4:51 PM IST