Shubman Gill takes indirect dig at Sanjay Manjrekar? ODI skipper's response on 'easiest format’ goes viral

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Shubman Gill takes indirect dig at Sanjay Manjrekar? ODI skipper's response on 'easiest format’ goes viral
India ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill celebrating century (Getty)

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Shubman Gill said that no format in international cricket is “easy,”.

Shubman Gill will lead India in ODI series against New Zealand.

India’s ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill said that no format in international cricket can be called easy, as he spoke ahead of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand. His remarks on the one-day format led to speculation about whether the young batter was taking an indirect swipe at former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar.

Sanjay Manjrekar on ODI format and Virat Kohli

Manjrekar had earlier criticised Virat Kohli for retiring from Test cricket after seeing Joe Root score his 41st Test century. He felt Kohli should not have ended his red-ball career so soon and instead should have shown more patience and determination to work through his recent struggles and find his best form again. Manjrekar, in a video on his Instagram account, questioned Kohli's decision to quit Tests instead of fixing his flaws, while continuing to play the 'easiest format' ODIs.

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Shubman Gill's take on ODI cricket

Gill further stated that India have not won an ODI World Cup since 2011, which shows how demanding the format really is. He added that while it may sound easy to say otherwise, no format is simple and all of them require hard work, focus, and determination.

"The last time we played ODIs against New Zealand, I made my debut and I always cherish that," he said.

 

"I don't think any format is easy, if you look at it, the Indian team hasn't won an ODI World Cup since 2011. It's easy to say but no format is easy and it requires a lot of effort and determination," said Shubman Gill ahead of ODI series against New Zealand.

 

 

India's upcoming assignment

Team India are currently preparing for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, which is scheduled to start from January 11. After that, the Men in Blue will now face the BlackCaps for the five-match T20I series. This will be India's last T20I assignment before the T20 World Cup 2026.

India vs New Zealand ODI series schedule

Match Date Venue Time (IST)
1st ODI Sunday, 11 Jan 2026 BCA Stadium, Kotambi, Vadodara 1:30 PM
2nd ODI Wednesday, 14 Jan 2026 Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot 1:30 PM
3rd ODI Sunday, 18 Jan 2026 Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore 1:30 PM