India head coach Gautam Gambhir has asked his players to maintain their fitness and continue working on their game during a month-long break from T20I cricket after India completed a 3-2 series win over New Zealand.India won the first three matches to take an unassailable lead in the five-match series, but New Zealand bounced back by winning the final two games at home.Addressing the players in the dressing room after the fifth T20I, Gambhir praised their efforts, pointing to the limited preparation time and the challenge of playing in unfamiliar conditions.“You can be extremely proud of the effort that you guys have put in throughout the series. Winning the series, especially when you had just one day to prepare and were playing against a quality team like New Zealand in their own backyard, is a terrific achievement. You should be extremely proud,” Gambhir told the players.India also had to deal with a few setbacks during the series. Ishan Kishan missed two matches due to an injury concern, while the bowling attack included relatively inexperienced players Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav, who were making their first appearances in New Zealand.Gambhir said India had set the tone for the rest of the tour and urged the ODI and Test teams to build on the T20I side’s performance.“You can go back with your heads held high. We wanted to win the last two games as well, but sometimes these things happen. I thought you guys have set the tone for the rest of the tour. Before the start of the series, I said that you had the responsibility to set the tone. Now, it is up to the ODI and Test teams to continue from where you have left off,” he said.India’s next T20I assignment will be a three-match home series against Sri Lanka in December. The squad will have roughly a month away from international T20 cricket, but Gambhir asked the players to use the break to stay fit and prepare for the next series.“We know that we don’t play enough T20 cricket, and we’ve got a month off now. So, make sure we stay in shape and prepare well for Sri Lanka,” he said.The India coach also told the players not to become complacent after the series win and stressed the need to keep improving as a team.“We can’t take any opposition lightly. We have to continue growing as a team, thinking as a team and playing as a team,” Gambhir added.India will now shift their focus to the ODI and Test assignments against New Zealand, while the T20I squad will regroup ahead of the Sri Lanka series in December.
