India captain Shubman Gill grabbed the attention ahead of the first ODI against New Zealand at the BCA Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara on Sunday, January 11. Gill was seen offering a brief prayer before the toss, and the clip quickly went viral on social media as India won the toss in the first match of the series.
The ODI series is important for India as they prepare their team for the next World Cup. Gill has returned to action after being out of the T20 team. Meanwhile, senior players Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are not part of the series as the team management continues to manage their workload.
Shubman Gill’s prayer before the toss goes viral on social media
A short video of Shubman Gill before the toss in Vadodara quickly caught the attention of fans on social media. The clip shows the Indian captain standing peacefully on the field and offering a brief prayer before the toss.
Brother was literally praying to God before the toss #shubhmangil #INDvNZpic.twitter.com/lIKVHAbz0G
(@__fanatic_) 11 January 2026
After this, Gill won the toss against New Zealand in the opening ODI of the series. After winning the toss, they decided to bowl first keeping in mind the dew factor and to test different team combinations on the new pitch.
The moment was special for Gill, as it was his first ODI toss win as captain on home soil. It also signaled a change in fortunes for India, who won consecutive tosses in ODIs after losing 20 consecutive tosses, a streak that began with the 2023 World Cup final.
Try different types of combinations – Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill said that he decided to bowl first to understand the conditions better. He said that due to dew it may be difficult to bowl later in the match. Gill said that the pitch looked good and the match gave India an opportunity to experiment with combinations.
Gill said, “Try different types of combinations, you know, see what kind of combination suits us best for different conditions, obviously when we play in India. Whenever you are bowling second, there is a bit of a challenge with the dew, and so try what type of combination suits our conditions best. It seems to be a good wicket.”
It will be a little easier to bat in the second innings – Shubhman Gill
The 26-year-old player said that he is hopeful that batting will be easier in the second innings due to dew. He also said that after playing domestic matches, the players are coming with good preparation and are looking in good form.
“Hopefully, I think with the new players coming in, it will be a little easier to bat in the second innings and that was the thought process behind bowling first.”
“I think everyone is coming back having played a few matches in the Vijay Hazare series, so everyone looks in good form. We have played a lot of cricket together, so you know, whenever we are together the atmosphere is always good and calm.”
Also read: Are Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma making the atmosphere of the Indian team toxic? Shubman Gill dropped the bomb
