Shubman Gill omitted from 4th NZ-India ODI; Shreyas Iyer to lead India

Shubman Gill will not feature in the fourth One-Day International between New Zealand and India at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on November 13, with Shreyas Iyer named as India’s captain for that match. The fixture is the fourth game of the five-match ODI series.

India lead the series 2-0 after winning the opening two ODIs; the third match was abandoned because of rain following two low-scoring contests. India also won the preceding five-match T20I series 3-2 and remain in position to secure the ODI series. New Zealand have been described in the source as fighting for survival, with the report noting they have not lost a bilateral ODI series at home in this decade and that their last home series defeat came in 2019 against India.

Gill captained India in the first three matches of the tour, contributing 37 in the opening ODI in Auckland and sharing a 113-run partnership with Virat Kohli in that game. He was dismissed for a duck in the second match. His name does not appear in India’s playing XI for the fourth ODI.

The source states Gill’s omission is not due to form, struggles in the conditions, or injury; he has left the limited-overs squad to join India’s Test camp. The BCCI has rested him for the final two ODIs and handed the on-field leadership to Iyer. The report also notes Gill is the no. 1 ranked ODI batter and describes his absence as a significant loss for India.

Both teams have made changes to their playing XIs for the fourth ODI, alterations the source says have surprised some fans.

The two-match Test series between India and New Zealand will start on November 19, and the source states Gill will be leading the visitors in that Test series.