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Key Takeaways
- 1📊 Rohit and Kohli remain central to India’s ODI plans
- 2🏆 Gill leans on two modern greats in high-pressure moments
- 3💡 Senior duo doubles as tactical and emotional anchors
- 4🔮 Series vs New Zealand tests Gill’s leadership with legends
"India's ODI skipper Shubman Gill also addressed his omission from the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 squad."
Returning to the 50-over hot seat, Shubman Gill has made it clear that the calm heads of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be central to Team India’s plans in the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand.
Leaning on modern greats in pressure moments
On the eve of the series opener, Gill didn’t hesitate to place his senior pros in the pantheon of ODI greats. For a young captain still shaping his own legacy, having Rohit’s aura at the top and Kohli’s presence in the middle gives India a reassuring spine in high-stakes chases and tricky pitches.
Gill pointed out how both have lived through every pressure scenario possible in one-day cricket – from World Cup knockouts to Dhoni-style last-over finishes – and how that experience filters through the dressing room. For a relatively new-look ODI group, those two pillars become tactical sounding boards and emotional anchors.
"One is one of the greatest openers of all time in ODIs and Virat bhai is one of the greatest ODI batters ever… when you have these two people in your team, it makes your life a lot easier."
As India fine-tune their 50-over roadmap post the T20 World Cup, this New Zealand series doubles up as a leadership exam for Gill and a reminder that, for now, the old firm of Rohit-Kohli still drives India’s ODI heartbeat.
