Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 4 (ANI): Team India entered a crucial phase, especially in Tests and ODIs, with major assignments against New Zealand and Australia on the horizon and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 coming up next year.
Hence, the spotlight will be on captain Shubman Gill, who will be leading the national team in his first ICC tournament. Since being handed the reins in England last year, Gill has grown by leaps and bounds, with former India Test captain Ajinkya Rahane, who is currently part of the expert panel on Sony Sports Network during India’s tour of New Zealand, being impressed with his development as a leader, according to a release.
Rahane believed Gill has carried the confidence from his current form, particularly in ODIs, where he is the top-ranked batter, onto the field while marshalling his troops. He added that the confidence and attitude Gill has because of his form gets reflected in his leadership as well.
“Shubman’s performance, batting-wise, has been brilliant. His records tell you a story. What I like most about him, the way he plays, is his confidence,” Rahane said on his YouTube channel.
“The way he walks onto the field, his attitude, that intent, is very important. Form can fluctuate. You score runs one day, you might not the next, but Shubman obviously has that confidence, and he has been scoring runs of late. But the most important thing is how he is improving as a captain with every series. He is handling the players very maturely, rotating his bowlers and making the right changes. So, those are good signs that he is growing with every series,” he added.
After the conclusion of the first ODI, which the Men in Blue won by five wickets, India will play four more ODIs against New Zealand before taking on the hosts in a two-match Test series, which will be critical for Shubman Gill and Co. from the World Test Championship (WTC) points perspective. Following the New Zealand tour, India will return home for white-ball series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe before taking on Australia in the blockbuster Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Coming to the first ODI, Virat Kohli’s commanding 74 off 51 balls and a clinical bowling performance led by Arshdeep Singh’s four-wicket haul powered India to a five-wicket victory over New Zealand in the rain-curtailed first ODI of the five-match series in Auckland. Arshdeep, Gurnoor Brar (3/44) and Anshul Kamboj (2/22) restricted New Zealand to 185 runs, while Kohli and Shubman Gill (56) guided India’s chase of the revised target of 143 runs in 32 overs. (ANI)
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