Captain Shubman Gill Backs Rohit Sharma Despite Poor ODI Series Against New Zealand Amid Retirement Buzz

After the conclusion of India's ODI series against New Zealand, Rohit Sharma might next be seen in action for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026.

Captain Shubman Gill Backs Rohit Sharma Despite Poor ODI Series Against New Zealand Amid Retirement Buzz

Shubman Gill defended Rohit Sharma, despite the veteran Indian batter struggling against New Zealand (via NDTV Sports)

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Following India’s disappointing 2-1 defeat to New Zealand in the three-match ODI series at home, veteran opener Rohit Sharma faced criticism for his poor performance. However, he was unexpectedly defended by captain Shubman Gill, who maintained that Sharma was still in ‘terrific’ form.

For the first time ever, the Men in Blue suffered an ODI series defeat to the Kiwis in India. They began the series strongly, securing a four-wicket victory in Vadodara by successfully chasing down a 301-run target. However, the visitors rallied in the second ODI in Rajkot, successfully chasing down 285 runs, largely thanks to an impressive 131 runs off 117 balls from New Zealand’s in-form all-rounder Daryl Mitchell.

Mitchell’s astounding run of form continued in the third ODI in Indore as well, where he and Glenn Phillips scored centuries to guide New Zealand to a commanding 337/8 at the end of the first innings. India lost the match by 41 runs, despite a valiant 124-run effort from Virat Kohli.

In contrast to the performances of Mitchell and Kohli, Rohit Sharma struggled with poor form throughout the three-match ODI series against the Kiwis. Rohit Sharma scored only 61 runs across three innings with a low average of 20.33, which is far below his usual high level.

Although he showed glimpses of his batting prowess, with most of his runs coming from boundaries, his poor run against the Kiwis was unexpected. This was particularly surprising because he had recently been in excellent form, having earned the POTS award during the Australia series last year, as well as scored 146 runs in the ODIs against South Africa.

Despite the New Zealand series being one of the few times Rohit Sharma struggled, it did not prevent him from facing criticism, with many suggesting he should retire. However, Indian ODI captain Shubman Gill publicly supported the 38-year-old veteran. Gill argued that a player cannot always be expected to turn decent starts into big scores. The 25-year-old insisted that his opening partner remains in good form.

I think he’s [Rohit Sharma] been in terrific form, even right through from the Australia series and also in the South Africa series. As I said, you won’t always be able to convert the starts that you get.

Shubman Gill told reporters (H/T India Today)

Sharma will look to regain his form in India’s next ODI assignments. However, the Men in Blue have a long break, as they will not be playing any bilateral white-ball series for the next five months, with their next major commitment being a white-ball tour to England in June 2025.

Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja to return for Ranji Trophy action

With the India-New Zealand series now moving into its T20 leg, several players have been released from the squad to return to their domestic sides for the group stages of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy. This list includes ODI captain Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj, and Ravindra Jadeja.

Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj
Ravindra Jadeja, Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj will return to Ranji Trophy action soon (via Times of India)

The 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season still has its final two rounds and the knock-out stages to be completed, with play resuming on January 22. An elite group B fixture between Saurashtra and Punjab in Rajkot is expected to feature two key players. Following their release from national duty after the ODIs against NZ, Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja are probable participants for their respective state teams.

While Gill has yet to play a Ranji Trophy match this season, Jadeja has only appeared in one game for his domestic first-class team against Madhya Pradesh. The return of the Indian ODI captain to domestic cricket is a shift for his previously demanding schedule, as he was recently left out of the national T20I setup and will also not participate the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, which begins on February 7.

Mohammed Siraj is scheduled to play in Hyderabad’s Ranji Trophy match against Mumbai. In contrast, Mumbai will be without key players such as Ajinkya Rahane, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shardul Thakur, and Shreyas Iyer.

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