(Image source from: Instagram.com/shubmangill)

Indian cricket team's ODI leader Shubman Gill spoke about not being included in the lineup for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. Before India's first ODI match against New Zealand on Sunday, Gill expressed that he honors the selectors' choice and hopes for the team’s success in the tournament. Recently, Gill has not performed well in the shorter version of the game, leading the team's management to leave him out for better 'team composition'. As a result, all-rounder Axar Patel has been appointed as the assistant to T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav. "I honor the selectors' choice. Good luck to the team for the T20 World Cup," he shared with journalists. "I'm in the position I need to be in, and whatever is meant for me cannot be taken away. A player always believes he will do his utmost for the nation, and the selectors made their choice," he added. Meanwhile, the strong performance of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma is expected to help India succeed in ODIs while the full-strength team faces a new New Zealand lineup in the first of three match series on Sunday.

While attention is on the T20 World Cup, which is coming up soon, Kohli and Rohit will be the main focus during the three ODIs in the next week. Both stars have had plenty of playtime, having participated in several games in the Vijay Hazare Trophy's league stage, where they scored a lot to show they aren’t fading from the scene. However, it remains to be seen how India captain Shubman Gill reacts after being left out of the T20 World Cup team, especially since his performance has been worrying alongside injuries that kept him from most of the series against South Africa late last year. If Gill comes back, it might push Yashasvi Jaiswal out from the top order, where he made his first ODI century in the last match against South Africa. Shreyas Iyer’s return might end a series of unsuccessful changes in the batting lineup, with the 31-year-old likely to reclaim his spot at No 4.

KL Rahul's ongoing role as a lower-order batsman and wicketkeeper is expected to keep Rishabh Pant from playing, as Pant remains the backup choice in the 50-over format.

Although Iyer, Pant, and Mohammed Siraj were not involved in the preparations for the ODI series in Kotambi until Saturday, Ravindra Jadeja practiced fully on Friday, indicating he is ready to play. Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya will not participate in the ODI series to keep them fit for T20 duties, leaving the pace bowling responsibilities to Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Prasidh Krishna.

Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, and Jadeja will take care of the spin bowling in a setting where the evening dew and the flat nature of the pitches across the nation mean that the focus will be on limiting runs rather than aggressively taking wickets. This will be the first occasion that the new Baroda Cricket Association Stadium in Kotambi will accommodate a men's international match. Previously, it has hosted a women's ODI series between India and the West Indies.

For New Zealand, their defeat to India in the Champions Trophy final last year holds little weight, as this series gives them a perfect chance to try out new and less experienced players. Regardless of whether their main players are available, the Black Caps will stick with the team philosophy that worked well in their last visit to India in 2024-25, when they defeated India 3-0 in the Test series. During that tour, many Kiwi players expressed a desire to "fire the first shot" against India, and the team's motto for this trip is "you are where your feet are," which aims to help players focus on the game instead of external challenges since New Zealand is missing several key players while playing in India. Mitchell Santner is absent from the ODIs due to a groin issue, and Tom Latham is at home welcoming his first child. Former captain Kane Williamson is in South Africa to participate in the SA20 T20 tournament.

Rachin Ravindra and fast bowler Jacob Duffy have been given rest, while Matt Henry, who is recovering from a calf injury, is concentrating on making a comeback for the T20I series with the World Cup in mind. Michael Bracewell will captain the team in Santner's absence; Santner is expected to return for the T20Is. There is also interest in how the tall all-rounder Kyle Jamieson and the 23-year-old leg-spinner Adithya Ashok will perform. Jayden Lennox has been added to the Kiwis' squad as a direct replacement for Santner. Although there are many new and inexperienced players in the team, New Zealand still possesses a strong batting lineup that includes Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, and Glenn Phillips.