- “Thanks to Gautam Gambhir and Shreyas Iyer” – Mohammad Kaif praises coach-catain duo after New Zealand T20I series win. Mohammad Kaif praised the head coach and the Indian team for keeping the team dominant despite a demanding schedule as India secured an unassailable 3-0 lead in the T20I series against New Zealand’s Gautam Gambhir and Shreyas Iyer (Photo: BCCI) India secured an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand on October 27, 2026, beating the hosts in Wellington six wickets.
- With a target of 199, the visitors completed the run in just 13.2 overs and ended the game with a thoroughly dominant performance with 40 balls remaining.
- Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif praised head coach Gautam Gambhir and his ctain Shreyas Iyer after the win, praising both of them for keeping the team focused and aggressive despite a tight schedule that included back-to-back games and extensive travel around New Zealand.
“Thanks to Gautam Gambhir and Shreyas Iyer” – Mohammad Kaif praises coach-catain duo after New Zealand T20I series win. Mohammad Kaif praised the head coach and the Indian team for keeping the team dominant despite a demanding schedule as India secured an unassailable 3-0 lead in the T20I series against New Zealand’s Gautam Gambhir and Shreyas Iyer (Photo: BCCI) India secured an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand on October 27, 2026, beating the hosts in Wellington six wickets.
With a target of 199, the visitors completed the run in just 13.2 overs and ended the game with a thoroughly dominant performance with 40 balls remaining. Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif praised head coach Gautam Gambhir and his ctain Shreyas Iyer after the win, praising both of them for keeping the team focused and aggressive despite a tight schedule that included back-to-back games and extensive travel around New Zealand. “I would like to give a lot of credit to the Indians batting.
This was not an easy series. But the Indian batters played very well. They have never played so well, not even in Ireland or Zimbabwe.
They have dominated here. This is a big achievement. The team passed this test.
New Zealand are a very good team. Gautam Gambhir also deserves recognition as a coach. Thanks also to Shreyas, the clan.
They maintained that attitude and remained dominant despite a tight schedule,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel. How did India defeat 199 so convincingly in Wellington? New Zealand posted a competitive score of 198 for 3 in their 20 overs, with Daryl Mitchell leading the innings with an unbeaten 89.
A target of 199 on a pitch that allowed free runs was still a difficult task, but India’s openers wiped out the race in the first round. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi got off to an explosive start at the top, hitting 45 off just 19 balls, which immediately put the hosts on the defensive. Abhishek Sharma then delivered one of the most destructive innings of the series, managing 113 runs off just 38 balls and effectively ending the game long before India’s reply was halfway through.
The six-wicket win with 40 balls remaining left no doubt about India’s superiority on the night. Also Read: “Maybe that nervousness is still there,” says Mohammad Kaif about Bhuvneshwar Kumar. What does this series win mean for Gambhir and Iyer’s leadership? Kaif’s comments were a direct reference to the environment that Gambhir and Iyer have cultivated in the team.
Mastering a dominant batting mindset during a condensed tour with limited recovery time between matches and significant travel between venues is a challenge that the former India batsman feels the management duo have overcome commendably.
