Cricket / India captain Shubman Gill targets strong ODI series in familiar New Zealand conditions

New Delhi, Nov 3: India captain Shubman Gill is eagerly looking forward to returning to New Zealand, the country where his international journey began, as he prepares to lead the side in the upcoming ODI series. Reflecting on his debut and past success in the country, Gill said he hopes to create more cherished memories during the month-long tour.

Gill, who made his ODI debut against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton on January 31, 2019, said returning to the country brought back fond memories and expressed his excitement ahead of the series.

"I'm here at Eden Park, you know, always, always very exciting. I made my international debut here in New Zealand, so I have a lot of good memories here. I feel very good whenever I come here, and hopefully, you know, when I go back after a month, I will take a lot of good memories from here," Gill said in a video shared by the BCCI on X.

The Indian captain also pointed out that the unusual dimensions of Eden Park could make things challenging for the team, particularly when it comes to positioning fielders and finding the right areas to defend.

"The dimensions are a bit weird, and I think it will be a challenge for us to be able to find the right placement for the fielders. Hopefully, you know, we can find those pockets sooner rather than later," he said.

Gill added that the relatively short boundaries, particularly on the straight side, would tempt batters to go for big shots, although he stressed that every player has a different approach and plans according to the situation.

"I feel that as a batsman, every batter goes in there with a plan, especially if you are facing the spinner. But I think it's very player-specific. Every player has their own plans. But for me, it's definitely very tempting, you know, seeing the straight boundary only getting 50-55 metres," he said.

Gill has enjoyed considerable success against New Zealand in ODIs, scoring 758 runs in 15 innings at an average of 63.17 and a strike rate of 102.85.
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The 26-year-old also underlined the importance of the series in building confidence within the Indian squad, particularly for the younger players, saying performances in overseas conditions would strengthen the team's belief in its ability to compete against any opposition.

"I feel that any Indian team that plays on the ground is capable of defeating any team. Young players will get a lot of confidence if they perform here. And we will get a lot of confidence that if we don't get the team we want for the World Cup for any reason, then our team can defeat any other team in any condition," Gill said.

He added that winning the series would provide a significant boost to the team's confidence.

"So, if we win the series here, it will be a big confidence booster for us," he said.