Team India’s ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill has dismissed reports of problems with senior batsmen Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli inside the dressing room. The right-handed batsman said that sharing the place in the team with Virat and Rohit has been a positive experience due to their long stay at the top level.
India will start the new year with an ODI series against New Zealand, which will start from January 11 at the BCA Stadium. The Men in Blue are heading into the series with confidence after ending 2025 with ODI and T20I series wins against South Africa. They would like to maintain that form in the white-ball series against New Zealand.
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli remain important for India in ODI cricket
The Test team is going through a period of change under the leadership of Shubman Gill. However, in ODI cricket he has the support of senior players around him. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are playing big roles in the 50-over format, giving experience and balance to the team.
Gill took command of the ODI team before the Australia tour in October. India lost the series 2–1, but the team still showed positive signs in many areas. Kohli and Rohit performed impressively during the Sydney ODI and the home series against South Africa.
India’s good results in white-ball tournaments over the past few years have enhanced their reputation. With depth and proven match-winners in the squad, India are likely to start most of the upcoming white-ball series as favourites.
I think the atmosphere of the team is amazing-Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill dismissed claims of problems inside the Indian team dressing room. He said that the team is in good shape mentally as the senior players bring long experience. He said that recent performances show that the team is working well together and the atmosphere in the camp is positive.
Shubman Gill said, “I think the team environment is amazing. The players you have named have been in this environment for decades and these are the same people who always try to take Indian cricket forward.”
He said, “And I think in the last series also you must have seen how well he performed. So I think the atmosphere in the team is very good at the moment.”
India vs New Zealand ODI series set to begin at new BCA Stadium in Vadodara
Cricket will return to Vadodara on January 11 when India and New Zealand begin their ODI series at the newly constructed BCA Stadium. This will be the first men’s international match at the venue and a large number of fans are expected to turn up for the occasion.
Both teams come into the series as the top two teams in the ICC ODI rankings. The last time they faced each other was less than a year ago in a major final, where India came out on top. New Zealand will now try to respond strongly and win their first ODI series in India.
While the stadium is new to men’s cricket, it hosted women’s ODI matches in 2024. In those matches, the pitch provided good value for the batsmen, with higher scores recorded when teams batted first, indicating a run-friendly surface for the upcoming game.
Also read: Shubman Gill reveals the real reason for India’s Test struggles under Gautam Gambhir