Shubman Gill faces captaincy criticism as India fall to New Zealand in 3rd ODI

Former New Zealand wicket-keeper criticised Shubman Gill’s tactics during the 3rd ODI against New Zealand, saying the young skipper needs to be more involved as India lost the series decider.

Shubman Gill (Image Credit: BCCI)

Shubman Gill’s captaincy came under the spotlight following India’s defeat to New Zealand in the third ODI, a result that sealed a historic series win for the visitors on Indian soil. While the match featured several standout individual performances, much of the post-match discussion revolved around Gill’s on-field leadership and tactical decisions during key phases of the game.

Former New Zealand wicketkeeper Ian Smith was among the strongest voices questioning the young skipper’s approach, suggesting that Gill needed to be more actively involved in controlling the contest. Meanwhile, in terms of batting, after scoring two consecutive half-centuries, Gill was dismissed on just 23 runs in the 3rd ODI.

“I know that Shubman Gill is just learning the art of captaincy. But there's a lot, even now KL Rahul is chatting to Arshdeep down there as if to say, these are jobs that vice captains do," he said on commentary.

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“Shubman Gill is now coming down to long off, which basically takes him out of the play. You've got to be part of the action as the captain, particularly when your team is under pressure,” he added.

I appreciate this as a young player: Ian Smith

The former New Zealand cricketer appreciated Shubman Gill as he is leading a team of legends and it's never easy. There are senior players like KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Shreyas Iyer who have played the game for years. But this is also an advantage for the young captain that he has gotten an opportunity to learn from the senior players regarding handling the team and pressure situations.

"I appreciate this as a young player. This is a hard team to captain because of the people around you within the group who have been former captains, most of them as well," said Smith.

"You've got Rahul, you've got Virat Kohli, of course, you've got Rohit Sharma. You've got Shreyas Iyer, you've got senior players around you. And it's not always easy to take charge effectively," he added.

Where to watch IND vs NZ T20I matches?

Cricket fans in India can watch the India vs New Zealand matches from January 21 online on JioHotstar, via OTTplay Premium.

Also read: Former India bowler blames Test series loss against SA on Kohli-Rohit transition, makes eye-opening claim

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