Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has backed Shubman Gill and the Indian team after their series defeat to New Zealand on home ground. India suffered their first ODI series loss to the Kiwis at home. The host nation won the series opener but lost the next two matches.

In the aftermath of the loss, Manjrekar asked fans not to overdo the criticism, pointing out that bilateral series no longer hold much weight in today’s cricket. He urged them to focus on the bigger picture, highlighting that the World Cup is the only major tournament that truly matters in ODIs, not even the Champions Trophy.

“To be honest, in today’s 50-over cricket, the only thing that truly matters is the World Cup, not even the Champions Trophy. Try recalling the last three Champions Trophy winners—you’ll likely struggle. But when it comes to the 50-over World Cup, you can remember every winner since the tournament began,” Manjrekar said in a video posted on his Instagram account.

Manjrekar added that setbacks in less significant series shouldn’t provoke reactions. He believes these challenges can sometimes offer teams a chance to reset and make improvements in preparation for bigger competitions.

“Yes, if you need to experience setbacks and poor performances, it’s better to have them now, ahead of the next World Cup. These bilateral series are scheduled, but they’re essentially just warm-up games, and there’s no need to overanalyze them. In fact, the significance of these series has dwindled so much that, just two weeks later, no cricket fan even remembers the outcome of those bilateral ODI series,” he added.

Since India’s remarkable journey in the 2023 ODI World Cup, which ended with a crushing loss to Australia in the final, their 50-over performance has taken a downward turn. In the 26 games that followed, India won 12, lost 12, tied one, and saw two games with no result. In 2024, India lost series to Australia, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand.

India will play their next ODI series against England in July. The key question now is whether the loss to New Zealand will result in any major shake-ups.

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