Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Newly appointed India head coach Gautam Gambhir celebrated a successful start to his tenure with a 3-0 T20I series win against Sri Lanka. In a post-series dressing room speech, Gambhir lauded skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s outstanding captaincy and his performance with the bat. All-rounder Hardik Pandya also shared his appreciation for his Mumbai Indians teammate, emphasizing the team’s resilience and strategic play.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a video on social media capturing the heartfelt comments from Gambhir and Pandya. Gambhir began by congratulating the team on their series win and specifically praised Suryakumar for his leadership and batting prowess.
“Guys, congratulations on a great series win. Congratulations to Surya as well, outstanding captaincy and more importantly with the bat as well. You absolutely delivered it. This is what happens when you keep fighting. You don’t give up. We keep getting better, we keep improving our skills,” Gambhir said, emphasizing the importance of continuous improvement and situational awareness.
Gambhir also advised the players to maintain their fitness levels during the break before the upcoming series against Bangladesh. “Make sure when you come back for the Bangladesh series, keep your skills and fitness levels high. Congratulations once again, Hardik is going to wrap it up.”
Following Gambhir’s address, Hardik Pandya praised the team’s adaptability and highlighted key performances, especially under challenging conditions. He commended Shubman Gill and Riyan Parag for their crucial partnership and the lower order’s contributions.
“First of all, well done! I think in batting first, we were challenged, and conditions were difficult, but the way Shubman and Riyan batted was brilliant. Washi and Bishi’s contributions were very important,” Pandya said.
Pandya also acknowledged Suryakumar’s strategic rotation of bowlers and his faith in the team. “Surya, well done on making sure that the way you rotated the bowlers was brilliant. As a bowling group, it was fantastic. This was definitely a right step going forward for the future,” he added.
India now looks forward to a 3-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, with Suryakumar not part of the squad.