1st ODI vs Australia at Perth: India lost by 7 wickets (DLS method). Shubman Gill’s debut as ODI captain was a challenging one. In a rain-affected match reduced to 26 overs, India’s batting faltered, collapsing to 45-4 before finishing at 136-9. Gill faced difficulties against the pace of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, scoring just 10 runs off 18 balls. Australia chased down the target comfortably, finishing with 29 balls to spare. This made Gill only the second Indian captain, after Virat Kohli, to lose his debut match across all formats.
2nd ODI vs Australia at Adelaide: India lost by 2 wickets. Gill’s struggles persisted, both as a captain and a batsman, as he was dismissed for just nine runs. He faced criticism for his field placement after Australia was reduced to 54-2 while chasing 265. Additionally, he was scrutinized for keeping pacer Arshdeep Singh on the bench during crucial moments, allowing Australia to clinch a two-wicket victory and the series.
3rd ODI vs Australia at Sydney: India won by 9 wickets. With the series lost, Gill finally experienced victory as captain. Although he contributed only 24 runs, his leadership on the field was notably improved. He engaged more with senior players and effectively utilized spinner Washington Sundar and pacer Harshit Rana, restricting Australia to 236 all out after they had been 183-3. India won decisively, with nine wickets in hand and 69 balls to spare.
1st ODI vs New Zealand at Vadodara: India won by 4 wickets. Gill returned from a neck injury and showcased strong control in his first home ODI as captain. His sharp bowling changes limited New Zealand to 300-8 after they seemed poised for a higher score. Gill led by example, scoring 56 runs off 71 balls and forming a crucial 118-run partnership with Kohli (93 off 91 balls).
2nd ODI vs New Zealand at Rajkot: India lost by 7 wickets. Despite Gill’s 56 runs off 53 balls, India could only post 284-7 on a flat pitch. He faced backlash for adopting a defensive fielding strategy, which allowed Daryl Mitchell (131) and Will Young (87) to dominate and secure a 162-run partnership. New Zealand chased down the target with 15 balls remaining, leveling the series.
3rd ODI vs New Zealand at Indore: India lost by 41 runs. Gill struggled as both a batsman and captain, scoring only 23 runs while chasing a challenging target of 338. His tactics were again questioned, as India faltered in the field, and Gill seemed less involved during crucial phases of the match. New Zealand achieved a historic ODI series win in India.
33.3: India’s winning percentage under Gill’s captaincy, winning just 2 out of 6 ODIs.
100: Winning percentage under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy last year before Gill took over, with 8 victories including the ICC Champions Trophy.
29.66: Gill’s batting average as ODI captain, significantly lower than his pre-captaincy average of 59.04.