Indian skipper Shubman Gill has strongly backed the squad's depth ahead of the five-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting November 4 in Auckland.
Addressing the media on the eve of the first ODI, Gill emphasized that despite being in a transitional phase, any Indian lineup taking the field possesses the quality to compete and win under different overseas conditions.
The 50-over series serves as a crucial testing ground for India's bench strength. Gill noted that testing younger talent gives the team the reassurance that they can win anywhere, even if the primary squad isn't fully available.
He also mentioned that New Zealand's conditions offer bounce and weather patterns similar to what India might encounter during the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
"I believe any Indian team that takes the field is capable of defeating any opposition. 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. In that sense, winning the series here would be a big confidence booster for us," Gill told reporters.
"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. Keeping that in mind, the experience will be valuable for both our batters and bowlers. 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. So, I think this tour will provide us with valuable experience that will certainly help us going forward," he added.
India enter the series with a mix of veteran batters and an experimental bowling core. While legends such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will anchor the batting order, several first-choice stars like Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya are missing from the squad.
The seam-bowling attack certainly lacks experience, featuring Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, and Auqib Nabi, alongside left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav.
Shubman Gill emphasized that experiencing varied pitches and bouncy surfaces with the new ball will test both the batters and the young bowling unit.
"I think the more we play at different venues, the more experience we gain. From what I have seen, the pitches have offered good bounce, providing challenges for both batters and bowlers. It will be a good test for both teams. We have a young bowling attack, but we possess all the qualities needed to succeed in these conditions. Hopefully, we can learn from the experience and put up good performances," he concluded.
