Overview
- India lost the home ODI series to New Zealand 1–2, part of a run of five defeats in the last nine matches.
- Ajinkya Rahane said excessive chopping and a lack of defined roles have undermined performance under head coach Gautam Gambhir.
- He called for player security and clearer communication from management as India build toward the 2027 World Cup.
- Rahane’s critique included selection trends that favor all-rounders over specialist bowling and the use of KL Rahul at No. 6, which he said has backfired at times.
- He noted that Virat Kohli’s strong outings could not prevent the series loss and said the gap until July offers time to lock in the right combinations.