Auckland, Oct 30:
India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill has begun preparations for the upcoming five-match ODI series against New Zealand after joining the squad here, with senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli set to return to the 50-over side.
Gill was seen batting in the nets during Thursday’s training session. He also wore a fitness-tracking device called ‘temple’ on his forehead. Wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul and pacer Gurnoor Brar have joined the Indian squad, while Ishan Kishan, who is recovering from a groin injury, also had a batting session.
Gill was seen interacting with T20I opener Abhishek Sharma, who smashed 113 off just 38 balls in the third T20I against New Zealand at Wellington. India have already taken an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match T20 series.
The ODI series begins on November 4 at Eden Park. It will be followed by a two-match Test series starting November 19, with Gill leading India in both formats.
Gill has had a challenging year, including a difficult tour of Australia last year and a series defeat in England earlier this year. However, he scored 754 runs in the five-Test series in England. He is also personally funding four to five net bowlers to ensure that he gets quality practice ahead of the assignments in New Zealand.