The ODI series concluded with the New Zealand team winning by 2-1. India, who won the first match, lost the second and third matches. Team India’s performance being the talk of the town, most of the players’ names are stained, except for Virat Kohli who piled up 93, 23, and 124 in the series of three matches. The outcome is also a cause for concern for head coach Gautam Gambhir, as he could not turn around the home series losing record during his time. After the third ODI loss when the Indian players were at the Holkar Stadium in Indore for the post-match ceremony, some fans reportedly shouted ‘Gambhir haaye haaye’ from one section.
Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ravindra Jadeja, and even batting coach Sitanshu Kotak were very taken aback by such an act from the fans. Here’s the video:
Team India Under Fire For ODI Series Loss
The fans not only in the stadium but also on social media directed their anger towards Gambhir, who was already under great pressure because of the recent poor results and his dealing with former captains Rohit and Kohli.
Furthermore, some diehard fans ridiculed the team management for its continuous assertion that the players were making good progress anyway, notwithstanding the substandard results. Captain Shubman Gill’s recent feats in ODIs are also the subject of debate and being compared with Sanju Samson’s showing in the domestic 50-over tournament. The selectors are likewise blamed for choosing Gill over Samson.
New Zealand claiming the series 2-1 made it their first ODI series win in India in 37 years, and together with the BlackCaps’ 3-0 whitewash of the hosts in a Test series last year, it marks the 2023 ODI World Cup finalists as a crisis team just a year before the next World Cup in 50-over cricket in 2027.