Former India opener Aakash Chopra has urged cricket fans to give India head coach Gautam Gambhir his due credit for the team’s remarkable success in T20 internationals, saying praise should follow criticism when it is warranted.

Chopra pointed out that Gambhir was heavily criticised following India’s inconsistent performances in Tests and ODIs, but his role in transforming the side’s batting approach in the shortest format deserves equal recognition. According to Chopra, India were late in realising that fearless cricket is the key to sustained success in T20s, a shift in mindset that Gambhir has helped instil.

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“Gautam Gambhir deserves credit. When we don’t hesitate to criticise, why hesitate to praise? I’m talking about India’s T20 batting approach. This isn’t the future anymore, it’s the reality,” Chopra said in a video shared on X. “We understood it late. The formula was always the same: 11 players, 20 overs. This is what you can achieve if you play fearlessly. India couldn’t do it earlier.”

Chopra believes India’s ultra-aggressive batting has completely rattled New Zealand in the ongoing five-match T20I series, with the visitors struggling to cope with the hosts’ relentless approach. He added that such has been India’s dominance that opposition teams now feel even massive totals may not be enough.

“Even now, we are playing ODIs and T20Is. New Zealand’s bowling hasn’t changed, but India’s approach has. The moment we started dominating and decimating teams, their resolve broke. Now teams are saying even 300 might not be enough because this Indian side is different,” Chopra added.

While India have produced mixed results in Tests and ODIs under Gambhir’s coaching tenure, their dominance in T20Is has been unquestionable. The Men in Blue have won nine consecutive T20I series heading into the upcoming T20 World Cup, including the ongoing series against New Zealand, where they have already sealed an unassailable 3–0 lead. The fourth T20I will be played at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, January 28.