Is Gautam Gambhir Listening? R Ashwin Pinpoints Glaring Flaws In Shubman Gill's Captaincy

India's 1-2 ODI series defeat at the hands of New Zealand has sparked a debate regarding the tactical maturity of captain Shubman Gill. While Gill's batting prowess remains undisputed, his leadership under pressure has come under the microscope, most notably from veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. In a detailed technical breakdown on his YouTube channel, Ashwin highlighted a significant lack of clarity in resource management during the middle overs that played a big role in India's defeats in the second and third ODIs. In fact, Ashwin also highlighted that the captaincy aspects that Gill struggled with are the same ones in which the likes of MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma excelled during their tenures.

According to Ashwin, Gill struggled to deploy his best assets when the game was on the line. The former India spinner questioned the skipper's usage of Kuldeep Yadav, especially against Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips in the third ODI.

"Why do we praise Rohit Sharma and Mahendra Singh Dhoni so much as captains? Because they know where to use the resources and when to bring the resources, and against which batsman," Ashwin remarked. "That was a little missing [in this series]."

Ashwin suggested that Gill's decision-making appeared clouded by previous failures, leading to a lack of confidence in his bowlers during the crucial third ODI. "You shouldn't lose confidence in a bowler on the basis of the previous game," he noted.

The most damning verdict from Ashwin's analysis came with regard to Gill's handling of star Kuldeep. Ashwin argued that Gill's rigid captaincy failed to exploit the clear technical weaknesses of New Zealand's middle order, specifically Glenn Phillips.

"I would have loved to see two-over spells," Ashwin explained. "If the same Glenn Phillips had to encounter Kuldeep Yadav through the middle overs in two-over spells... give one run to Daryl Mitchell, try and bowl round the stumps."

Ashwin: If you don't use the right bowlers at the right time even good bowlers look ordinary. That's why Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni are praised they use their resources perfectly.This is what missing in Gill's captaincy.

Bro exposed Gill's blunders.

pic.twitter.com/gVuidcwWVk

— Rohan (@rohann__45) January 19, 2026

Ashwin expressed surprise that Gill did not have a "Plan B," effectively "shielding" Kuldeep against certain batters rather than using him as the primary weapon to break the Phillips-Mitchell partnership.

"If you use the resources properly and if there is a failure, then it's done," Ashwin concluded. "The point is, you bowl your best bowlers at the right time."

As India prepares for future assignments, the question remains whether Gill can find the delicate balance between focusing on his own performances while also leading the team. While these are still early days in Ashwin's career, the bigger question is if head coach Gautam Gambhir is listening to Ashwin's assertions. 

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team New Zealand Cricket Team Shubman Gill Ravichandran Ashwin India vs New Zealand 2026 Cricket