Shubman Gill returned as India's ODI captain on 4 November 2026, at Eden Park, Auckland, in the 1st ODI against New Zealand.

It was not his first match as ODI captain. He took over from Rohit Sharma in October 2025, ahead of the Australia series. But it was his first ODI as captain in New Zealand, his first ODI as captain after the T20I series, and his first match in a split-captaincy series where he leads the first three ODIs and Shreyas Iyer leads the last two.

Gill won the toss, chose to bowl, picked a pace-heavy XI, and was 17 not out off 30 balls when rain stopped play, with India on 54 for 1 in 10.5 overs, chasing a revised DLS target of 167 in 40 overs.

This is a first-match piece, not a series verdict. The match was still in progress at the resume at 1:35 PM IST, with no final result claimed here. These are the talking points from Gill's first match back.

Talking point 1: The toss call was the first captaincy decision

Gill won the toss, delayed by rain, and chose to bowl first.

That was a captaincy decision, not just a toss decision. At Eden Park, the ODI first-innings average is 222.6 across 67 full-length decided games, 257.7 since 2015, and 285.8 in the four ODIs since 2019. Chasing teams lead 43-32 all-time at Eden Park, but the last four decided ODIs went 3-1 to the team batting first.

India have won 4 and lost 6 ODIs at Eden Park, with 1 tie, and all 4 wins came chasing. The three times India batted first at Eden Park, they lost, most recently in November 2022, when 306 for 7 was chased down by New Zealand, with Tom Latham making 145 not out.

Gill chose to bowl, despite the recent trend favouring batting first. He trusted his bowlers to use the early swing and seam on a used surface, with good bounce expected, and he trusted his batters to chase.

It worked, in the first innings at least. New Zealand were bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs, well below par, with Arshdeep Singh taking 4 for 70, Gurnoor Brar taking 3 for 44, and Anshul Kamboj taking 2 for 22.

Gill's toss call was vindicated by the bowling. Whether it is vindicated by the result depends on the chase, which was still in progress at the resume.

Talking point 2: The XI was a pace-heavy, flexible XI

Gill's confirmed XI for the 1st ODI was:

Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh.

Bench: Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan.

That XI was a surprise in two ways.

First, India picked four specialist fast bowlers, Arshdeep, Kamboj, Nabi and Brar, plus Axar Patel as the only specialist spinner. Kuldeep Yadav was benched, despite being India's best ODI spinner in many conditions. Mohammed Siraj was benched too, despite being in both Cricinfo and Cricbuzz probable XIs on 3 November.

Second, India picked Naman Dhir at No. 7, over Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was in the squad for the 1st ODI only. Dhir is a batter who can bowl part-time off-spin. Nitish is an all-rounder who can bowl seam. Gill chose Dhir, who gives batting depth, over Nitish, who gives seam depth.

Gill said before the match that positions 5 and 6 are flexible, with Axar Patel possibly at No. 5. In the confirmed XI, Axar batted at No. 5, Rahul at No. 6, and Dhir at No. 7. That flexibility is a Gill captaincy trait: he wants batters who can move up or down, depending on the match situation.

The XI worked with the ball. Kamboj's economy of 2.20 in 10 overs, with two maidens, was the best in the match. Arshdeep's four wickets broke partnerships. Brar's three wickets finished the innings.

Whether the XI works with the bat depends on the chase. If India chase 167 in 40 overs, they will not need Dhir at No. 7 to bat. If they lose early wickets, they will need him.

Talking point 3: Gill the batter, 17 not out at the rain break

Gill the captain is also Gill the opener, and Gill the batter.

He opened with Rohit Sharma, as he does in the first three ODIs. Rohit was out for a duck, 0 off 6 balls, caught by Mitchell Santner at mid-off off Kyle Jamieson, in the first over. That was Rohit's 17th ODI duck, passing Sourav Ganguly, and his first ODI duck in three years.

Gill was 17 not out off 30 balls at the rain break, with India on 54 for 1 in 10.5 overs, and Virat Kohli on 24 not out off 24 balls.

Gill's strike rate was 56.67, Kohli's was 100.00. Gill was scoring slowly, Kohli was scoring at par. That is a normal pattern for Gill as an opener: he starts slowly, builds an innings, and accelerates later.

Gill was the leading ODI run-getter in 2026 before the November series, with 895 runs in 11 innings at an average of 111.87 and a strike rate of 118.7. In July 2026, his 2026 ODI batting was reported as 484 runs in 8 matches at an average of 96 and a strike rate of 114.

His best ODI innings as captain was 223 not out off 133 balls in Guwahati in October 2026, chasing 406 against West Indies. That innings showed that Gill can bat long and score quickly as captain, when the team needs him to.

In Auckland, Gill did not need to score quickly at the rain break. India needed 113 runs off 175 balls at the resume, with a required run rate of 3.87. Gill could afford to bat slowly, build a partnership with Kohli, and finish the chase.

That is the job of an ODI captain-opener: to set the platform, not just to score quickly. Gill did that in the first 10.5 overs, even if his strike rate was low.

Talking point 4: Gill's ODI captaincy record so far

Gill's ODI captaincy record before New Zealand was mixed, and that is why this series matters.

• October 2025, Australia, lost 1-2. Gill took over from Rohit Sharma ahead of the Australia series. India lost 1-2. Gill made 43 runs in three innings, at an average of 14.33. That was a poor start, as captain and as batter.
• November-December 2025, South Africa, missed through injury. Gill missed the South Africa ODI series with a neck injury. KL Rahul led India to a 2-1 win. Gill was not there to lead, but India won without him.
• January 2026, New Zealand at home, lost 1-2. Gill lost 1-2 at home to New Zealand, the same team he is now playing in New Zealand. New Zealand won the series 2-1 in India, their first bilateral ODI series win on Indian soil. Daryl Mitchell was Player of the Series, with 352 runs in 3 innings, including 131 not out in Rajkot and 137 in Indore.
• June 2026, Afghanistan at home, won 3-0. Gill won his first ODI series as captain, 3-0 at home against Afghanistan. That was his first series win as ODI captain.

Gill's ODI captaincy record before New Zealand was 4 wins, 5 losses, in 9 matches as captain, with one series missed through injury. That is not a strong record, but it is a young captain's record, with a team in transition.

Gill is also India's Test captain, after leading India to a 2-2 draw in England in 2025, with 754 runs at an average of 75.40, and Player of the Series. He is a captain who leads with the bat, and who is learning on the job in ODIs.

The New Zealand series is a chance for Gill to improve his ODI captaincy record, and to beat the team that beat him at home in January 2026.

Talking point 5: The split captaincy, and what it means for Gill

Gill captains the first three ODIs, on 4, 7 and 10 November, with Shreyas Iyer as vice-captain. Iyer captains the last two ODIs, on 13 and 15 November, with Ishan Kishan as vice-captain.

That split is unusual, but it is deliberate. The selectors want Gill to lead the first part of the series, with Rohit and Kohli in the team, and Iyer to lead the last part, with a younger squad.

For Gill, the split means he has three matches to make his mark, not five. If India win the first three ODIs, Gill will have won the series as captain, even though Iyer leads the last two. If India lose the first three ODIs, Gill will have lost the series as captain, even though Iyer leads the last two.

Gill's first match back was a good start with the ball, with New Zealand bowled out for 185. His first match back with the bat was a slow start, 17 not out off 30, but a solid start, with a partnership with Kohli.

The next two ODIs, Wellington on 7 November and Hamilton on 10 November, will be the real test. Wellington has rain in the forecast, and a green pitch. Hamilton is a high-scoring ground, with a first-innings average of 245.0 in ODIs. Gill will need to adapt his captaincy to both conditions.

Talking point 6: Gill, Rohit and Kohli, the senior trio

Gill opens with Rohit Sharma in the first three ODIs, and Virat Kohli bats at No. 3 in all five ODIs.

Rohit was India's ODI captain from 2017 to 2025, with 42 wins in 56 ODIs, and a Champions Trophy win in Dubai in March 2025. Kohli has 15,109 ODI runs before this series, at an average of 58.78, with 55 hundreds.

Gill is the new captain, Rohit is the former captain, Kohli is the senior batter. That trio is the core of India's ODI batting, and Gill has to manage it as captain.

In Auckland, Rohit was out for a duck, Kohli was 24 not out, Gill was 17 not out. That is a mixed start for the trio, but it is only the first match.

Gill's job as captain is not just to score runs himself. It is to get the best out of Rohit and Kohli, and to set fields and bowling changes that help his bowlers.

In the first innings, Gill did that. He used Kamboj for 10 overs, Arshdeep for 10 overs, and Brar for 9.2 overs, and he kept the pressure on New Zealand. He did not use Kuldeep, because he did not pick him, and he did not use Siraj, because he did not pick him.

That is a captaincy decision that will be judged after the series, not after one match.

For fans following Gill's return, the first match is a good start with the ball, and a solid start with the bat. Cricbet99 is a gaming and betting-related platform, not an official broadcaster, and any betting-related features are for adults only, where legally permitted. Use responsibly and check local rules, as betting law in India varies by state. For live scores, the official broadcast remains Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV in India.

FAQs

Is Shubman Gill India's ODI captain?
Yes, for the first three ODIs in New Zealand, on 4, 7 and 10 November 2026, with Shreyas Iyer as vice-captain. Iyer captained the last two ODIs, on 13 and 15 November, with Ishan Kishan as vice-captain.

When did Gill become ODI captain?
In October 2025, replacing Rohit Sharma, ahead of the Australia series, to settle into the role before the 2027 ODI World Cup.

What is Gill's ODI captaincy record?
Before New Zealand, Gill had lost 1-2 in Australia in October 2025, missed the South Africa series in November-December 2025 through a neck injury, lost 1-2 at home to New Zealand in January 2026, and won 3-0 at home against Afghanistan in June 2026.

What did Gill do in the 1st ODI in Auckland?
Gill won the toss and chose to bowl, picked a pace-heavy XI with four seamers, and was 17 not out off 30 balls at the rain break, with India on 54 for 1 in 10.5 overs, chasing a revised DLS target of 167 in 40 overs.

Who opens with Gill in ODIs?
Rohit Sharma opens with Gill in the first three ODIs. Virat Kohli bats at No. 3 in all five ODIs.

What is Gill's ODI batting record in 2026?
Gill was the leading ODI run-getter in 2026 before the New Zealand series, with 895 runs in 11 innings at an average of 111.87 and a strike rate of 118.7.

Verdict, first match

Gill's return as ODI captain started well with the ball, with New Zealand bowled out for 185, and solidly with the bat, with Gill 17 not out and Kohli 24 not out at the rain break.

The toss call was right, the XI was bold, and the bowling was excellent. The batting is still in progress, with a revised DLS target of 167 in 40 overs.

Gill has two more ODIs as captain in this series, Wellington on 7 November and Hamilton on 10 November, to prove that he can win an ODI series in New Zealand as captain, after losing at home to New Zealand in January 2026.

The first match is a good start. The series will decide if it is a good return.