India suffered a humiliating 0-2 whitewash at the hands of Ireland in Belfast.
Months after their T20 World Cup 2026 triumph, Team India suffered a humiliating 0-2 whitewash at the hands of Ireland in an away T20I series.
While the Men in Blue lost the series opener by 34 runs, they fell agonisingly short by just a single run in the second T20I. The results ended India’s remarkable 16-series unbeaten streak in T20Is and also put head coach Gautam Gambhir under severe scrutiny.
Amid the criticism, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has thrown his weight behind Gambhir, citing that the coach was a ‘very misunderstood person’ and Indian cricket fans are yet to understand that a difference in point of view did not imply the other person had to be disliked.
“When there are talks about Gambhir, sometimes it comes out in a manner where we don’t get it in a way that he is trying to say it. I think he is a very misunderstood person. There could be personal things. In India and Indian cricket, it will take us time to realise that a difference in view or point of view does not mean that you don’t like the other person. It is okay to disagree. Like and point of view are very different,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
In particular, the Gambhir-led management received backlash for not handing debut India cap teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryvanshi during the Ireland series.
India stuck with the established T20 World Cup winning opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. While Sharma holds the No. 1 position in the ICC Men’s T20I Rankings for batters, Samson earned the Player-of-the-Tournament award in India’s T20 World Cup triumph earlier this year.
Ashwin also supported Gambhir's emphasis on picking all-rounders for T20Is, noting that lower-order batters (positions 5, 6, or 7) who can also bowl provide crucial team balance.
“India under Gambhir values someone who can bat and bowl a bit as well, then you will be in. Sometimes I am not okay with this that all of this comes into Test cricket as well, which I am not agreeing with. In T20 cricket, if a batter who comes at 6 or 7 can give a bit of bowling as well, it lends a lot of balance to your team. Someone who can consistently finish innings for you at 5, 6, or 7, those should be valued and given a slightly longer rope,” Ashwin remarked.
India will now travel to England, where they will play five T20Is and three ODIs beginning July 1 at Chester-le-Street.