India captain Shubman Gill grabbed attention ahead of the first ODI against New Zealand at the BCA Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara on Sunday, January 11. Gill was seen offering a brief prayer moments before the toss, and the clip quickly went viral on social media as India went on to win the toss in the series opener.
The ODI series is important for India as they prepare their team for the next World Cup. Gill has returned to action after missing out on the T20I squad. Meanwhile, senior players Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are not part of the series, as the team management continues to manage their workload.
Shubman Gill’s Pre-Toss Prayer Goes Viral on Social Media
A short video of Shubman Gill before the toss in Vadodara quickly caught the attention of fans on social media. The clip showed the Indian captain standing calmly on the field and offering a brief prayer moments before the toss took place.
BRO WAS LITERALLY PRAYING TO GOD BEFORE THE TOSS 😭😭🤣🤣#ShubmanGill #INDvNZpic.twitter.com/lIKVHAbz0G
— . (@__Fanatic_) January 11, 2026
Gill then went on to win the toss against New Zealand in the opening ODI of the series. After winning the toss, he chose to bowl first, keeping the dew factor in mind and looking to test different team combinations on a fresh pitch.
The moment was special for Gill, as it was his first ODI toss win as captain on home soil. It also marked a change in fortune for India, who won back-to-back tosses in ODIs after losing 20 consecutive tosses, a streak that began with the 2023 World Cup final.
Try Different Kinds Of Combinations – Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill said that he chose to bowl first to better understand the conditions. He stated that bowling later in the match can be tricky because of dew. Gill added that the pitch looked good and the match gave India a chance to experiment with combinations.
“Try different kinds of combinations, you know, see what combination suits us the best for different conditions, obviously when we play in India. Whenever you’re bowling second, there’s a bit of a challenge with the dew, and so try out what kind of combination suits our condition the best. It looks like a good wicket,” Gill said.
It’ll Be A Little Bit Easier To Bat On in Second Innings – Shubman Gill
The 26-year-old stated that he expects batting to be easier in the second innings because of the dew. He also said the players are coming in well prepared after playing domestic matches and look in good form.
“Hopefully, I think it’ll be a little bit easier to bat on in the second innings with the new coming in, and that was the thought process behind bowling first.”
“I think playing a bit of Vijay Hazare series, everyone is coming after playing some matches, so everyone looks in good form. We’ve played a lot of cricket together, so you know, the environment is always nice and calm whenever we get together.”
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