India captain Shubman Gill has backed his team's ability to defeat any opposition as the visitors prepare for a five-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting on Wednesday.
With the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in sight, Gill believes the series will help India assess their squad depth, prepare for conditions similar to those in South Africa and give younger players valuable experience ahead of the tournament.
"I believe any Indian team that takes the field is capable of defeating any opposition," Gill said on the eve of the first ODI against New Zealand. "The young players will gain a lot of confidence if they perform well here. It will also give us confidence that even if we don't have the squad we ideally want for the World Cup for any reason, we have a team capable of beating other sides in different conditions," he added.
India look to test squad depth
India head into the series with a mix of youth and experience. While the batting line-up features stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the bowling attack comprises a relatively young group of players.
Jasprit Bumrah has been left out of India's white-ball squad, while all-rounder Hardik Pandya remains sidelined with an injury. Ravindra Jadeja, who featured in India's previous ODI series against the West Indies last month, has also been left out. India's bowling attack for the series includes Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Auqib Nabi and Kuldeep Yadav.
Gill highlighted the importance of the New Zealand tour in India's preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup, stating that the playing conditions are expected to be similar to those in South Africa.
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"The World Cup will certainly be at the back of our minds. These conditions are going to be much more similar to those in South Africa than in some of the other countries where we will be playing," he said. "The weather conditions around this time of the year are also likely to be closer to what we might experience in South Africa, rather than the hotter conditions in December or January."
The 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup will be held from October 4 to November 21, with South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia jointly hosting the tournament.
The ODI series follows a five-match T20I contest in which India took a 3-0 lead before New Zealand fought back to win the final two matches and clinch the series 3-2. Hosts New Zealand will look to carry that momentum into the 50-over format, while India will aim to bounce back and begin the next leg of the tour with a win.
