In a transfer that has sparked intense debate throughout the Indian cricket panorama, veteran commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has stepped ahead to defend head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill following India’s 2-1 ODI collection defeat to New Zealand. The loss, finalized on January 18, 2026, on the Holkar Stadium in Indore, marked the primary time the Blackcaps have ever secured an ODI collection victory on Indian soil, a outcome that many followers considered as a major blow to the staff’s status.
Regardless of the hullabaloo surrounding the defeat, Manjrekar took to his official Instagram account to supply a counter-narrative, urging the fraternity to keep up perspective. His protection rests on a philosophy that prioritizes pinnacle world occasions over the noise of bilateral contests.
Sanjay Manjrekar defends Gautam Gambhir with a hanging World Cup comment
Manjrekar’s main argument is that within the trendy period of the game, the 50-over World Cup is the one metric of true success. He went so far as to decrease the worth of different prestigious trophies, together with the Champions Trophy.
“Actually, in 50-over cricket at the moment, what actually issues are the World Cups and never even the Champions Trophy,” Manjrekar acknowledged. He challenged followers to recall current Champions Trophy winners, suggesting they fade from reminiscence whereas World Cup champions stay immortalized.
By labeling bilateral collection as glorified “warm-up video games,” Manjrekar goals to protect Gambhir from the mounting scrutiny. Below Gambhir’s tenure, the staff has confronted a string of inconsistent leads to the ODI format, resulting in questions on tactical rigidity and squad experimentation.
Nonetheless, Manjrekar believes {that a} setback now is definitely helpful. “If you wish to have your setbacks and poor performances, get it out of the system now, in time for the subsequent World Cup,” he defined.
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Transitioning focus to the T20 World Cup protection
The timing of this defence is essential because the Indian staff pivots instantly to the shortest format. On Wednesday, January 21, 2026, a Suryakumar Yadav-led India begins a five-match T20I collection in opposition to the identical New Zealand aspect. For Gambhir and the choice committee, these matches symbolize the ultimate laboratory earlier than India begins the protection of their T20 World Cup title on house soil in February.
Whereas the ODI loss to New Zealand highlighted vulnerabilities within the center order—regardless of a valiant 124 from Virat Kohli within the closing sport—Manjrekar insists that present type just isn’t at all times a precursor to World Cup success. He urged followers to permit the administration the house to experiment with squad combos with out the “outdoors noise” of bilateral outcomes. For Gambhir, Manjrekar’s help supplies a essential buffer in opposition to the critics because the staff seems to be to search out its rhythm earlier than the worldwide stage takes heart stage.
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