India’s poor run in white-ball cricket continued as they suffered a 2-1 series defeat to England in the ODIs, following a 4-0 whitewash in the T20I series. This came after the side was also clean-swept 2-0 by Ireland. The ODI series loss was India’s third defeat in the 50-over format with Shubman Gill at the helm, with his only win coming against Afghanistan at home.
India player Hanuma Vihari criticised Gill’s captaincy, saying the young leader still has a lot to learn. In the series decider at Lord’s, Gill opted for four pacers and only five genuine bowling options after Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out due to a knee injury. The inexperienced attack – featuring Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna, and Arshdeep Singh – conceded 387 runs as India lost by 27 runs, adding another white-ball series to their growing list of defeats.
Speaking about Gill’s captaincy, Vihari said, “Having just five bowlers in the last ODI, he (Gill) was struggling with his bowling changes. When everyone was getting hit, not having a sixth option became a concern for him,” he said on his YouTube channel.
“You should also know how to handle things when this option is not there. Whether it is field placement or bowling changes, I feel he has to improve. He has a lot to improve in captaincy. His batting is outstanding, but he has to get better as captain because the results are not coming,” he added.
‘Why was Kuldeep left out?’
Vihari also questioned India’s decision to leave out wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav for the entire series. On a dry surface at Lord’s, where England’s spin option Jacob Bethell turned the game, Kuldeep’s exclusion proved costly, according to Vihari.
“Why was Kuldeep left out? It is something that I cannot understand. Going with youth in T20s is still fine, but here you have to go with experience. India have so many such players. Seeing the IPL, you feel there are many new players, but match-winners are very few, and you have to pick those match-winners. If you have winning the World Cup in mind, you will pick experienced players and those who know how to win games,” he said.
Vihari called Kuldeep’s exclusion a “shocker” and questioned how the selectors would pick him for the 2027 ODI World Cup if he continues to warm the bench. “Lord’s is a slow wicket. On that wicket, you played four fast bowlers and did not play Kuldeep. It was a shocker. If you take him in the team but don’t give him a chance in a series like this, how will you pick him for the World Cup? This is a question everyone has to ask after losing a series like this,” he added.
Shubman Gill’s record as India captain across formats
- India tour of England (Away) – 5 Tests (June 2025)
Result: 2-2 (Series Draw) - West Indies tour of India (Home) – 2 Tests (October 2025)
Result: 2-0 (India Win) - India tour of Australia (Away) – 3 ODIs (October 2025)
Result: 1-2 (Australia Win) - South Africa tour of India (Home) – 2 Tests (November 2025)
Result: 0-2 (South Africa Win)
Note: Gill led only in the first match. - New Zealand tour of India (Home) – 3 ODIs (January 2026)
Result: 1-2 (New Zealand Win) - Afghanistan tour of India (Home) – One-off Test (June 2026)
Result: 1-0 (India Win) - Afghanistan tour of India (Home) – 3 ODIs (June 2026)
Result: 3-0 (India Win) - India tour of England (Away) – 3 ODIs (July 2026)
Result: 1-2 (England Win)
