India captain Shubman Gill has asserted that the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand gives the side a useful opportunity to consolidate their preparations for next year's World Cup. The ODI World Cup is scheduled to be played in October and November, with Gill believing that the current tour could provide valuable exposure to playing conditions that may be similar to those India will face during the global event.
Gill mentioned that India's past tours of New Zealand, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia have been held in December and January, making this series highly important.
"The conditions that we're going to get here are going to be a lot more similar to the ones that we're going to get in the World Cup, especially playing here in early November. Usually, whenever we play in South Africa or in New Zealand or in Australia, we usually play around December or January, whereas the World Cup is in October and November. So I think the conditions are going to be a lot more similar, and it's going to be a really good experience for us," Gill said in a video released by the BCCI on X.
Gill also backed Anshul Kamboj, Aaqib Nabi Dar, Gurnoor Brar and Arshdeep Singh to play a big role in this series, keeping in mind the suitable conditions in New Zealand.
“With the wickets seeming around and giving good bounce, our fast bowlers, whether it is Anshul, Aqib, Gurnoor or Arshdeep, I think the skill set that they bring to the team in these conditions is tailor-made for them, and I’m really optimistic that they’re going to have a really good series,” Gill said.