Shubman Gill praises Virat Kohli, Harshit Rana; marks pain points after series loss

Shubman Gill praises Virat Kohli and Harshit Rana [Image Credits: X]

After India’s 2–1 series loss against New Zealand in the ODI series, Shubman Gill addressed the team’s concerns while also lauding some notable individual efforts. Shubman Gill led the praise for Virat Kohli and Harshit Rana following their heroic partnership that kept India alive in the game for a significant period.

However, Gill was also quite elaborate in pointing out the mistakes that may have let the hosts down in the ODI series. Speaking after the match, which New Zealand won by 41 runs in Indore on January 18, Shubman Gill admitted that there are several areas where the team needs improvement and that these concerns will certainly be addressed going forward.

Shubman Gill opens up after IND vs NZ ODI series loss

Although Gill did not specify the exact issues in the post-match presser, India visibly struggled in certain aspects, particularly with their fielding. Long, full-stretch dives were a rare sight, and there were several missed chances, including dropped catches.

"Yeah, definitely. After the first match, coming here 1-1, the way we played was a bit disappointing. A lot of areas that need some improvement. I wouldn't say concern. But there are areas we need to look back and do some things better,” Gill said.

The bowling attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah could be another area Team India might want to work on.

Gill heaps praise on Kohli and Harshit duo

That said, there were plenty of positives as well, which Shubman Gill highlighted by praising Virat Kohli and Harshit Rana.

“The way Virat bhai is batting is definitely a plus always. The way Harshit has batted in this series. Batting at 8 is not easy and the way he has stepped up and the way our pacers have bowled is pretty good,” Gill added.

Notably, Virat Kohli scored a 108-ball 124 after coming in at number three, despite faulty performances from Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill at the top of the order.

Kohli held one end firmly and played the role of an anchor, smashing 10 boundaries and three sixes during his innings. However, what stood out even more was Harshit Rana’s grit. Rana, who came in at number eight, has slowly been weaving his comeback story as an all-rounder.

He struck 52 runs, his maiden half-century in senior cricket, off just 43 balls, hitting massive sixes that towered over and stunned the Indore crowd.

Nevertheless, after Harshit Rana’s dismissal, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj failed to hold their ground late in the innings. Virat Kohli was eventually dismissed by Kristian Clarke after a long fight in the 46th over, leaving India struggling at 292 for nine and ending almost all hopes of chasing the 338-run target.

Gill on promoting Nitish Kumar Reddy

Moving forward, Shubman Gill also shared the thought process behind promoting Nitish Kumar Reddy up the batting order. Gill confirmed that he wants to give Reddy opportunities ahead of the World Cup, and providing him with enough time in the middle seemed to be the best decision for now.

“I mean keeping the World Cup in mind and where it will be played. We want to give him opportunities and we want to give him enough overs, to see what combinations work for us and what deliveries work for him,” Gill concluded.

For the uninitiated, Nitish Reddy scored 53 runs while partnering with Kohli. With the ball, however, he went wicketless, conceding 53 runs from his eight overs.

Despite losing the series, India will be looking to bounce back strongly in the upcoming T20I series, which begins on January 21.