'He has improved from what we have seen him in the first tour' - Ambati Rayudu on Shubman Gill's difficult start in ODIs vs New Zealand

Shubman Gill's ODI career began on January 31, 2019, against New Zealand. While he failed to impress at the start of his international career, the 27-year-old has since become a key player for India. However, the Indian captain faced challenging conditions during the ongoing ODI tour of New Zealand, scoring 37 off 56 balls in the first match before recording a golden duck on the first delivery in the second ODI at Wellington on November 7, 2026.

Ambati Rayudu, the former India batter, reflected on Gill's journey as a player and the difficulties the Indian team encountered in the series. When Gill first appeared in international cricket, his approach to batting was notably aggressive and unrefined, according to Rayudu's observations.

"The Indian team has struggled against this bowling, it has not been very convincing. India have not outplayed New Zealand. When I saw Shubman Gill in 2019, he used to play with hard hands and was going after the ball. We all felt that it would be slightly tough to have that pattern, especially in these countries. But he has evolved into a proper match-winner, he has improved leaps and bounds from what we have seen him in the first tour," Rayudu said on Cricbuzz.

Rayudu opined that the surface conditions in New Zealand presented a significant challenge for the Indian batting unit throughout the series. Rather than the bounce of the pitch being problematic, the unpredictable pace of the surface emerged as the primary difficulty. This inconsistency affected batters across the Indian lineup, contributing to the team's overall struggles in the ODI series against the hosts.

"In this tour, the conditions have been really tough, to be very honest. The bounce has not been an issue for Shubman Gill, it is the inconsistency of the pace of the surface," he added.

Also Read: Top 3 run-getters for NZ-A vs IND-A series

After India registered victories in the first two ODIs, the third one, which was scheduled to be played in Hamilton, was abandoned due to rain. The action will resume in Mount Maunganui on Friday, November 13.