Several Faces Likely to Miss Next ODI Series; Captain Shubman Gill Hints at Team Changes

New Delhi: Following India’s 1-2 defeat to New Zealand in the three-match ODI series, the Indian cricket team is set for major changes in its playing XI. ODI captain Shubman Gill has indicated that several players who featured in the recent Indore match may not be part of the squad for the next series.

Series Overview
India won the first ODI in Vadodara, but lost the second in Rajkot and the decisive third in Indore. Several Indian stars failed to perform consistently, raising concerns about team composition ahead of the 2027 World Cup.

Team to be Shaped for 2027 World Cup
Gill stressed that the team’s focus is on preparing for the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will leave little room for experimentation. India will have only 17 ODIs before the tournament, and the management wants to use upcoming series to identify the right combination. Gill said,
“The World Cup is on our minds. We want to give Nitish Kumar Reddy a fair opportunity to bowl enough overs so we can assess which combinations work best for us and which bowling plans are most effective.”

Top-Order Struggles Highlighted
Despite underwhelming performances in the series, senior opener Rohit Sharma is considered safe, given his recent form in Australia and South Africa. However, Ravindra Jadeja is under scrutiny, having failed to make an impact with either bat or ball in recent matches. The series loss, particularly the third ODI, exposed India’s over-reliance on a few top-order batsmen, with Virat Kohli left to anchor the innings almost single-handedly.

Team Statistics Underline Concerns
In the past year, only five Indian batsmen—Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul—have scored over 500 runs. The next highest is Axar Patel with 290 runs, who is already out of the squad due to Jadeja’s presence. This highlights the top-order vulnerability, which became evident against New Zealand.

Bowling Woes Continue
India’s pace bowlers have been more effective than the spinners over the last year. In the recent series, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja struggled to contain opposition batsmen, allowing New Zealand to post record-breaking totals. This signals a need for both bowling and batting adjustments in the team going forward.

Gill’s remarks suggest that India’s ODI squad for the next series may feature new faces, marking a shift towards building a balanced team for the 2027 World Cup.