Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma making Indian team atmosphere toxic? Shubman Gill drops bomb

Team India ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill has dismissed talk of problems with senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli inside the dressing room. The right-handed batter said that sharing the team space with Virat and Rohit has been a positive experience because of their long years at the top level.

India will begin the new year with an ODI series against New Zealand, starting on January 11 at the BCA Stadium. The Men in Blue head into the series with confidence after finishing 2025 with ODI and T20I series wins against South Africa. They will look to carry that form against New Zealand in the white-ball series.

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli Remain Key for India in ODI Cricket

The Test team is going through a transition under Shubman Gill’s leadership. However, he has the support of senior players around him in ODI cricket. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continue to play a big role in the 50-over format, giving the team experience and balance.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

Gill took charge of the ODI team before the tour of Australia in October. India lost the series 2-1, but the team still showed positive signs in several areas. Kohli and Rohit delivered impressive performances during the Sydney ODI and the home series against South Africa.

India’s strong results in white-ball tournaments over the past couple of years have boosted their reputation. With depth across the squad and proven match-winners, India are likely to start most upcoming white-ball series as favourites.

I Think the Team Atmosphere Is Amazing - Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill dismissed claims of problems inside the Indian team dressing room. He said that the squad is in a good mental space as senior players bring long experience. He added that recent performances show the team is functioning well together and the atmosphere in the camp is positive.

“I think the team atmosphere is amazing. The players that you named have been in this atmosphere for decades, and they are the people who always try to push Indian cricket forward,” Shubman Gill said.

“And I think even in the last series, you saw how well they performed. So I think the atmosphere in the team is great right now,” he added.

India vs New Zealand ODI Series Set to Begin at Vadodara’s New BCA Stadium

Cricket returns to Vadodara on January 11 when India and New Zealand begin their ODI series at the newly built BCA Stadium. This will be the first men’s international match at the venue, and fans are expected to turn up in large numbers for the occasion.

Both teams come into the series as the top two sides in the ICC ODI rankings. They last faced each other in a major final less than a year ago, where India came out on top. New Zealand will now look to respond strongly and chase their first ODI series win in India.

While the stadium is new for men’s cricket, it hosted women’s ODIs in 2024. In those matches, the pitch offered good value for batters, with high scores recorded when teams batted first, hinting at a run-friendly surface for the upcoming game.

Also read: Shubman Gill EXPOSES real reason behind India’s Test struggles under Gautam Gambhir