India captain Shubman Gill has called for the team to stop experimenting and start fielding their preferred ODI World Cup combination from the upcoming New Zealand tour, warning that with the global showpiece now roughly a year away, time for trial-and-error is running short.

The Context: A Depleted Series

India's 2-1 series win over the West Indies was achieved with a makeshift squad. Several automatic ODI picks — including pace talisman Jasprit Bumrah, vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar — were on duty at the Asian Games, where India sent a first-choice T20I side to defend the gold medal. The squad was further stretched by injuries to Hardik Pandya and Prasidh Krishna, with Krishna missing the third ODI due to a left hamstring problem. Pace bowler Harshit Rana was also unavailable through injury.

Opportunity for Fringe Players

The circumstances opened the door for players on the fringes of the first-choice setup. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, and Auqib Nabi all featured, while Nitish Kumar Reddy and Gurnoor Brar appear to be among the options India are actively developing with an eye on the World Cup. Gill acknowledged the value of this rotation, but was clear that such scenarios cannot be the norm for much longer.

'It's unfortunate with the injuries and the scheduling of other matches that we have not been able to play the bowling line-up we would have liked to. But that is something that is not in our hands. It is a good chance for the other players, who might not have been in the team if we had the full-strength bowling. So it is a great chance for the other players to showcase their skills,' Gill said at the post-match press conference after India lost the 3rd ODI against the Windies by five wickets.

Gill's Clear Directive on Experimentation

Speaking candidly, Gill drew a line under the experimental phase. 'I honestly don't think there is that much time to experiment. The combination that we want to play, hopefully we get all the players that are available from the next series and the combination that we would like to play in the World Cup, we want to start playing with that combination,' he said.

The next assignment is a full-format tour of New Zealand comprising five ODIs, five T20Is, and two Tests — a demanding schedule that Gill clearly sees as the moment India's preferred World Cup core must begin gelling.

Kamboj and Nabi: Rough Debuts, But Not Written Off

Despite both debutants leaking runs during the series, Gill backed them for the longer run. 'Anshul and Auqib are the kind of players who are going to be in the mix a lot. We had an opportunity to experiment with another player with the series being in the bag. Anshul is someone who can also bat at number 8, and that number is very crucial for us,' the captain explained. The remarks suggest India view Kamboj in particular as a batting all-rounder rather than a pure pace option, giving him a dual role that could prove valuable in ICC-format squads.

What Comes Next

The New Zealand series will serve as the first real benchmark for India's World Cup blueprint under Gill's captaincy. With the full complement of first-choice players expected to be available, the coming months will test whether the team can translate individual talent into a settled, repeatable combination before the tournament begins.