'Virat, Rohit make life easier': Shubman Gill ahead of first ODI against New Zealand

India ODI captain Shubman Gill, on Saturday, January 10, heaped praise on senior players and former skippers - Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the 1st India vs New Zealand ODI of the three-match ODI series, Gill lauded Rohit as one of the greatest openers in ODIs and Kohli as one of the greatest batters in ODI cricket ever.

Gill added that having Rohit and Kohli in the side makes a captain's life much easier, because whenever there is a challenging situation, you can go to them for decision-making, which is valuable for any captain.

"Among the two players you have named, one is the greatest openers (Rohit) of all time in ODIs, and Virat bhai is one of the greatest ODI batsmen ever. So definitely, having these two people in your team makes your life a lot easier, and whenever you are in a challenging situation, you can go to them for input. Because they have often been in those situations, you can go to them to see how they think or what they would do. That piece of information is very valuable for any captain," Gill said.

Gill also stressed finding the best combination and playing at full strength, irrespective of the opposition. "We don't look at any opposition, since they aren't at their full strength. We want to play at full strength and find the best combinations."

The Indian skipper said that in India, bowling second is relatively difficult because of dew, but defending targets in those conditions will boost his side's confidence.

"Like I said earlier, in what kind of a particular situation, as we will see in other matches that we play in India, the team that is bowling second, it is relatively difficult for them with the dew. And if we can, by defending a target and finding the best combinations, where bowlers can step up in those conditions," Gill said.