India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill has dismissed rumours of a dressing room rift ahead of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting January 11 in Vadodara. Gill praised the return of star batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, emphasizing that the team atmosphere remains strong and that the senior players continue to push Indian cricket forward.

Addressing India’s recent struggles in Test cricket, Gill attributed the poor performances to the tight international calendar. He suggested that a less congested schedule would give players more time to prepare, recover, and build confidence for each series.

India’s Test team has faced a challenging period, losing two home series in the past 12 months, including a 0-3 defeat to New Zealand and a 0-2 loss to South Africa. The team also lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia away from home for the first time since 2017. With setbacks in 2025 affecting World Test Championship prospects, India needs at least seven wins from their remaining nine Tests, including tours to Sri Lanka and New Zealand and a home series against Australia, to stay in contention for the 2027 WTC final.