ODIs vs NZ: Pressure on captain Gill to talk with the bat after World T20 snub

The Indian cricket bandwagon is on the road again after a small yearend break. While all the media glare will be certainly on the Ro-Ko combine in the first of three-match ODI series against New Zealand at Vadodara on Sunday, captain Shubman Gill will be under the scanner as well after his snub from the T20 World Cup squad.

No wonder, the query was a no-brainer in his pre-match media conference at the western Indian city of the Gaekwads and in more recent times, made famous by the Pathan and Pandya brothers. Shubman, of course, parried it as the ‘selectors’ decision,’ but there is no mistaking the hurt after being named the vice-captain in the shortest format only months back for the Asia Cup in September.

‘’I respect the selectors’ decision. All the best to the team for the T20 World Cup," he told the media. ‘’I am where I have to be and whatever is written in my destiny no one can take that from me. A player always believes he will try his best for the country and the selectors have taken their decision,’’ he added.

The past year had seen the 26-year-old, hailed as the Crown Prince of Indian batting, being fast-tracked to too many responsibilities – starting with the Test captain’s mantle in England after the Big Two retired in a huff towards the final phase of IPL 2025. Gill responded to the challenge in epic fashion with an aggregate of 754 from five Tests which a new-look team drew 2-2, but could not quite replicate the form in white ball cricket subsequently.

The T20 format, for all his obvious class and piles of runs he has scored in IPL so far, has not been his true calling – with Gill often been caught in a dilemma on whether to attack or anchor the innings and failed to build on decent starts. The pressure on the Punjab batter in Australia, for which he replaced Rohit Sharma as ODI captain at the eleventh hour, could have also taken a toll on him while. To make matters worse, what began as a watershed year for him turned sour with a freak injury in the first innings of Kolkata Test ruling him out of the series versus Proteas.

Not many would have still bargained for Gill, the T20 vice-captain, not to find a place in the 15 for the World T20 at all. The dice could still roll in his favour after the surgery on Tilak Verma, but Gill would for now like to make the most of a new look Kiwi attack on possible belters at all three ODI venues – Baroda, Rajkot and Indore to show that captaining the side with senior pros on board has not had an impact on his batting.

When asked by National Herald on the eve of Kolkata Test in November as to how he looked to balance the twin responsibilities of a captain in two formats and top batter, Gill said he preffered to ‘compartmentalise’ the two responsibilities.

‘’I try to think purely as a batter when I am at the crease – otherwise I won’t be able to take the calculated risks,’’ he had said.  It’s a job easier said than done, and this is where he can turn to a certain Virat Kohli to seek tips as the pink phase of the later’s batting form coincided with his all format captaincy pressure between 2014 and 2019.  

Meanwhile, the Big Two had been growing from strength to strength with more matchtime in the only format they play these days – notwithstanding coach Gautam Gambhir’s almost pathological aversion to give them due credit. After managing to get into groove after some trying times in the ODI series in Australia, they turned the clock back in the home ODI series against South Africa and went on to show the hunger for big runs – rather than cameos – in the opening rounds of Vijay Hazare Trophy.

For New Zealand, their loss to India in last year's Champions Trophy final carries little significance, as this series presents an ideal opportunity to test new and second-line players. Mitchell Santner is missing the ODIs due to a groin injury and Tom Latham is back home for the birth of his first child. Former captain Kane Williamson is in South Africa, fulfilling his T20 commitments in the SA20.

Rachin Ravindra and fast bowler Jacob Duffy have been rested while Matt Henry, returning from calf tear, is focused on returning in the T20I series keeping the World Cup in mind. However, the Kiwis are firm believers in team ethos rather than star power and hence, one should write them off at their own peril.

Catch the match

India vs New Zealand

First ODI at Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara

Start: 1.30 pm IST