India are set to take on New Zealand in a five-match ODI series, set to commence on November 4. The series is set to be headlined by star names with a key focus being on the veteran opener Rohit Sharma, and his partner and skipper Shubman Gill. Both players are prolific in the format and have had notable outings in 2026.
Ahead of the series, Shubman Gill holds a clear advantage over Rohit Sharma in ODI run-scoring this calendar year. Gill, who now captains the Indian ODI side, has accumulated 841 runs from 12 innings in 2026 at an average of 93.38 and a strike rate of 103.31. Rohit, the former ODI captain, has scored 604 runs from the same number of innings at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 104.67.
In terms of boundary-hitting, Gill has struck 99 fours and 33 sixes in 2026 ODIs, while Rohit has hit 72 fours and 26 sixes. Gill has registered three centuries and four fifties this year, with a highest score of an unbeaten 223. Rohit has posted two centuries and three fifties, with a top score of 138.
Gill’s standout moments in 2026 ODIs
Gill‘s most spectacular innings of the year came against West Indies in Guwahati, where he struck an unbeaten 223 off 133 balls. He brought up his double-century off just 117 balls, breaking Ishan Kishan’s previous record for the fastest ODI double-century, which had been set off 126 balls. Gill and Rohit put on a 255-run opening partnership in that match, with Rohit contributing 101 off 75 balls — his 35th ODI century — as India successfully chased a target of 406 in 43.3 overs, the second-highest successful ODI chase in history. That Guwahati match featured five individual centuries in total. The 223 was Gill’s second ODI double-century of his career and made him just the second player to have scored multiple double-hundreds in ODIs, after Rohit.
Further highlights for Gill in 2026 include a knock of 154 off 110 balls against Afghanistan in Lucknow, where he shared a major partnership with Ishan Kishan as India sealed the series by 170 runs. Gill also contributed scores of 84 not out and 77 in other 2026 ODI outings, underlining his consistency across the year.
Rohit Sharma’s 2026 ODI campaign in context
Rohit’s 2026 ODI year has been a tale of contrasts. He struggled during a New Zealand series earlier in the year, managing only 61 runs across three innings. However, he recovered strongly with impactful knocks of 79 against Afghanistan and 138 against England in 2026, the latter being his highest score of the calendar year. The century against England made him the first Indian batter to score an ODI century at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.
His century against West Indies in Guwahati — 101 off 75 balls — also saw him pass the 12,000-run mark in ODI cricket, becoming the oldest Indian batter at 39 years of age to score an ODI ton. He finished that series with a solid 92 in the final ODI against the West Indies.
