IND vs NZ 2026: Shubman Gill takes blame off spinners in India’s series loss

After India’s 1-2 loss to New Zealand in the recently finished three-match ODI series, captain Shubman Gill came out in favour of senior spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, citing difficult outings at home.

The experienced all-rounder ended the three-match series wicketless, giving 141 runs in 23 overs. He has only taken one wicket in his last six ODIs, scoring 43 runs with the bat over three innings at an average of 14.33. Kuldeep, India’s primary strike spinner in ODIs for the previous few years, conceded 182 runs in 25 overs at an economy rate of 7.28 and an average of 60.66, as New Zealand batsmen successfully neutralised his menace.

Jadeja’s batting performances were also called into question. Batting in the middle order, the veteran batsman was anticipated to provide solidity and acceleration near the finish of the innings. However, he failed to record a huge score, prolonging his quest for an ODI half-century on Indian soil. His latest fifty at home dates back to 2013, when he hit 61 against England at Kochi. Jadeja was dismissed at a vital moment in the Indore ODI, with Virat Kohli comfortably set at the other end.

The Indian captain, on the other hand, has defended the Saurashtra player, claiming that Jadeja appeared to be in good batting rhythm despite the absence of substantial scores, while also pointing to a larger issue among the batting group.

“Firstly, I think about Jaddu bhai. I don’t know how many matches he has played over the past couple of years, but in terms of his batting, he was looking in good touch. That said, I think all of us batters, especially, were not able to convert the starts we got. Whenever you play in India, you usually see high-scoring matches, and if batters get starts but don’t convert them at least two of them it always becomes difficult,” Gill said at the post-match press conference.

Kuldeep unfortunate to not have picked as many wickets: Shubman Gill

The unorthodox spinner’s lean series came after a strong run in recent seasons. He enjoyed his most successful ODI year in 2023, claiming 49 wickets in 30 matches, followed by 19 wickets in 11 ODIs in 2025. Drafted in as the lead wicket-taking option in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep was targeted effectively by New Zealand’s middle order, particularly Daryl Mitchell. Gill acknowledged Kuldeep’s long-term value for the Men in Blue.