Following the first Twenty20 International against New Zealand in Christchurch, veteran Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan slammed Gautam Gambhir’s naysayers. For a variety of reasons, the team and head coach were heavily scrutinized in the opening game of their trip.
Everyone was surprised when India suddenly placed Tilak Varma at number three instead of Ishan Kishan. However, Indian batting coach Sitanshu Kotak stated after the game that Tilak was shifted up the order due to a right adductor discomfort.
People began to criticize the action without understanding its specifics. For the benefit of onlookers, Tilak was dismissed for six runs in 11 balls, which disrupted the Men in Blue’s rhythm and resulted in wickets falling one after another.
So, Ishan Kishan had a niggle during the first T20, which is why he batted lower down the order.
But everyone was quick to go after @GautamGambhir for changing the batting order. Criticising him has become everyone’s favourite timepass these days.
Please, please wait a bit before passing judgment. Don’t jump to conclusions without knowing the full story.
And this applies to everything in life. In the rush to get “views” and “numbers” on social media, you might end up hurting someone without even knowing the full story. Think before you judge.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) October 23, 2026
Irfan Pathan responded to the situation via social media.
Despite the setback, the visitors recovered excellently to set a new T20I record for the most successful chase. Before being replaced by New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner, Sanju Samson hit 67 off 33 balls. Naman Dhir finished the game with an unbeaten 42 off 15 balls, while Shreyas Iyer added 42 off 28.
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The BCCI already stated that Ishan will not play in the second Twenty20 International and that they will monitor his progress. The next match is scheduled on October 24 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. India now leads the series 1-0.
