Basit Ali Slams Shubman Gill’s Captaincy After New Zealand’s Series Win in India

Shubman Gill came under sharp criticism from former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali after India suffered a rare home series defeat against New Zealand.

It has been a challenging few months for Shubman Gill as the leader of the Indian cricket team. After being comprehensively beaten by South Africa in two Test matches, the 25-year-old faced defeat in his first assignment as India’s ODI captain in Australia. The trend continued against New Zealand, where India suffered another setback.

The disappointment deepened when a second-string New Zealand side defeated a full-strength Indian team at home for the first time in more than 30 years. While Gill is still trying to establish himself as a dependable captain, former Pakistan batter Basit Ali took a sarcastic swipe at the young leader following New Zealand’s success.

Speaking on the YouTube show The Game Plan, Basit questioned Gill’s captaincy and India’s overall performance.

“Credit goes to the Indian captain, Mr Gill and his captaincy. Even India was without Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah. Shami, they aren’t keen on picking. India’s strength has come down to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Rahul scored in two matches, but he got out cheaply today. What were the rest doing?” Basit remarked.

Basit Ali Continues Scathing Attack On Shubman Gill

The former Pakistan cricketer went on to further criticise Gill, urging him to improve his leadership skills. “When New Zealand almost chased down a 300-plus target in the first ODI, they had set their goal. Who are India’s main bowlers, barring pacers? Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja. You have specialist bowlers, but you made Nitish Reddy bowl before him,” Basit said.

He continued his criticism with a sharp closing remark. “Shubman Gill was trying to copy Shan Masood. Follow whatever message has been conveyed to him from the dressing room. You needed an early breakthrough. I salute him. Go to school and learn captaincy,” he added.

In the decisive match, New Zealand recovered strongly after early setbacks to post 337 for eight. Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips played key roles, adding 219 runs for the fourth wicket. Mitchell scored a composed 137, while Phillips struck a quick 106 after New Zealand had slipped to 58 for three.

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India’s chase began on a poor note as the team lost early wickets and fell to 71 for four. Virat Kohli stood firm with a fighting 124 off 108 balls. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana offered brief resistance, but the required run rate continued to climb. India were eventually bowled out for 296 in 46 overs, as New Zealand held their nerve to seal a historic series win on Indian soil.