"One series does not define the form of whole team": Shubman Gill

Team Indias vicecaptain Shubman Gill defended his sides performance during the Test series against Australia by saying that one poor series does not define a team and it is unfair to criticize the team after a rare failureTeam India suffered a 13 Test series loss against Australia in the fivematch series This also led the Aussies to end the decadelong dominance of Team India in the BorderGavaskar TrophyStar players such as Virat Kohli Rohit Sharma Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill will now feature in the ODI series against England before heading to Dubai for the Champions Trophy 2025One series does not define the form of the whole team There are a lot of players who in the past have performed consistently in a lot of series and tournaments Gill told reporters here ahead of the first ODI against EnglandDefinitely we did not play as per our expectations in the Australian series but still we played some good cricket We were unfortunate not to have Jasprit Bumrah on the last day and we would have won the match and the series would have been a draw and this talk wouldnt have happenedOne match and one day doesnt define us we won there twice before and earlier won a World Cup and then reached the final of a World Cup so we should keep all those things in mindBefore Australia Team India also suffered a Test series loss against New Zealand by 03 at homeAlso ReadVarun Chakravarthy added to Indias squad for ODI series against EnglandAhead of the ODI series against England the focus will be on Rohit and Virat who are currently struggling to find themselves among runs But Shubman Gill was very quick to cover up Rohits lack of runs The 25yearold highlighted Rohits form in whiteball cricketThe way Rohit bhai has been batting in the ODIs in the past one year and a half its been really gamechanging for usTaking the momentum right through from the start and taking the game away form ball one and it makes the job of the nonstriker and the batsmen coming in a bit easier and I think it has helped our team a lotDespite scoring runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy Karun Nair was not picked for the Champions Trophy 2025However Gill stressed the importance of continuity to ensure a secure team environment rather than making frequent changes based on domestic performancesKarun had a great Vijay Hazare Trophy but that doesnt mean the current players should be dropped They have also performed well to reach this stageWe have lost only one game in the World Cups The players in the squad have contributed significantly and while its unfortunate for those excelling in domestic cricket who werent picked constant chopping and changing will affect players confidence Without continuity we can never build a strong teamShubman Gill has been made a part of the leadership group and on taking up the additional responsibility of being a vicecaptain he said I take it as a challenge to lead my way firstly with my performance and then definitely in the field if Rohit bhai would want my opinions Its my duty to let him know what my thoughts areWith Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhishek churning out top performances Gill is in a scramble for a spot at the top of the order but the 25yearold asserted that there is no toxic competition between the threeAbhishek is a childhood of friend of mine Jaiswal is also a friend I dont think there is any toxic competition between us Obviously if you are playing for the country you want to perform in every match and not think that I wish this guy doesnt performYou are playing for the country and for the team and whosoever performs you congratulate them Gill saidThe three ODIs against England are the last bit of preparation the Indian team gets before the Champions Trophy starting February 19The 02 series loss to Sri Lanka in August was the last time India played ODIs last yearWe are playing against a good side and three ODIs and we are not taking this as a practice for Champions Trophy as it is a very important series for us and we are looking to dominate and win this series like any other seriesWith PTI Inputs