Shubman Gill’s exceptional 2026 ODI form has taken fans by storm, in a time where the captaincy pressure ruined former T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav's form leading to his replacement with Shreyas Iyer who has also been underwhelming in the last two away series, Gill has been one of the rarest exceptions. As India's full-time ODI captain, the 26- year old player has maintained a phenomenal run through recent bilateral series against New Zealand, Afghanistan, and England.

His statistics across these six consecutive innings have showcased absolute dominance at the top of the order. He started the year with solid knocks of 56 off 71 balls, 56 off 53 balls, and a quick 23 off 18 balls against New Zealand. He then elevated his game against Afghanistan, scoring an unbeaten 84 off 66 deliveries followed by a masterful 154 off 110 balls. His most recent knock was an unbeaten 80 off 75 balls on July 14 at Edgbaston during the opening ODI against England.

This latest inning successfully anchored India's six-wicket victory, though he unfortunately had to retire hurt near the finish line due to severe muscle cramps.Across this brilliant six-match stretch, Gill has amassed 453 runs at an extraordinary batting average of 113.25 while striking at a rapid rate of over 115.  

This consistent run of high scores underscores his ability to anchor innings and accelerate seamlessly under pressure. Following this dominant period, Gill has surged to the World Number 2 position in the official ICC Men's ODI Batting Rankings. He currently sits a mere 11 rating points behind the top-ranked Daryl Mitchell, putting him within striking distance of reclaiming the global number-one crown as India prepares for the 2027 World Cup.

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"It was a perfect start": Shubman Gill reflects on India's six-wicket win

Team India opened the ODI series against England with a lead of 1-0 as they secured the victory in 45.2 overs as they chased a score of 258 with six wickets in hand. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli fell cheaply with scores of 11 and 5 respectively while the skipper Shubman Gill went on to score 80 runs but then had to leave the field mid match due to cramps. Axar Patel contributed with 50 runs and a 4-fer to enjoy India’s victory.

India captain Shubman Gill termed the Edgbaston ODI victory a "perfect start." Following the 6-wicket win, Gill praised the lower-middle order's resilience, stating, "When you see your middle order, lower middle order score runs like that and finish off the job for the team, you get a lot of confidence as a captain and as a top order batsman."

Addressing India’s strategy to bowl first, Gill explained the decision focused primarily on dynamic team combination rather than atmospheric conditions. He noted, "Honestly, it was more about our combination. We have a youngish bowling attack, so our batting is still a bit more experienced than our bowling. So, first game of the series, we wanted to bowl first so that even if there's a target of 320, we back the kind of batting order that we have, we back ourselves to chase that."

Evaluating the team's performance, he highlighted the recovery after early setbacks. "I think how we bowled in the middle overs was very pleasing. I think they were 50-odd in the 10 overs. We bowled brilliantly well in the first 6-7 overs... We were put under pressure. But I think how we bounced back, how we came back and took those five wickets was very important.”