‘Never played this brand of T20 cricket’ – Former cricketer hails Gautam Gambhir’s impact on Indian team

Former Gujarat batter Priyank Panchal has credited India head coach Gautam Gambhir for a fundamental shift in the national team’s approach to T20 cricket, following India’s emphatic win over New Zealand in Guwahati.

India chased down 154 in just 10 overs in the third T20I on January 25, completing the task with eight wickets in hand. The victory handed the hosts an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series against New Zealand.

Reacting to the performance, Panchal took to social media to praise Gambhir’s influence on the team’s mindset.

“India never played this brand of T20 cricket until Gambhir bhai took over the reins. This is a transformation, which is rather generational in context. Massive credit to him for turning around the mentality and prioritising putting the team above self always,” Panchal wrote.

The results since Gambhir assumed charge in mid-2024 provide strong statistical backing to Panchal’s assessment. India have won 29 of their 33 completed T20Is under Gambhir, including 19 victories in their last 22 matches since the start of 2025. India had earlier chased down 209 against the same opposition in just the 16th over during the second T20I.

While India’s T20 resurgence has been striking, Gambhir’s tenure has not been without challenges in other formats. The team suffered heavy home Test series defeats to South Africa and New Zealand, losing 2-0 and 3-0 respectively, and also relinquished the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia with a 1-3 loss.

There have been positives too. India recorded a commendable 2-2 draw in the Test series in England last year and went on to win the ICC Champions Trophy in the UAE without losing a match. However, ODI series defeats to Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand have tempered that success.

With the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup set to begin on February 7, Gambhir’s most significant test lies ahead as India enter the tournament as defending champions.