India may have ended the West Indies ODI series on the wrong side of a five-wicket defeat, but Shubman Gill walked away with another significant landmark as the hosts secured a 2-1 series victory.
West Indies chased down India’s 351/7 in the third ODI in New Chandigarh, reaching 352/5 in 48.2 overs. Shai Hope produced a magnificent unbeaten 162 to complete the highest successful ODI chase in West Indies history. KL Rahul’s unbeaten 129 had earlier powered India after they slipped to 4/2.
Despite the defeat, Gill was named Player of the Series after an outstanding campaign that yielded 334 runs. The India captain began with 110 in the opening ODI before producing a breathtaking unbeaten 223 in the second match. He fell for just one in the decider, but his contribution across the series was enough to earn the award.
The honour also moved Gill into an elite club in Indian ODI cricket.
With seven Player of the Series awards, Gill has now equalled Yuvraj Singh, Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni. Sachin Tendulkar leads the list with 15 awards, followed by Virat Kohli with 11.
Most Player of the Series awards for India in ODIs:
- 15 – Sachin Tendulkar
- 11 – Virat Kohli
- 7 – Yuvraj Singh
- 7 – Sourav Ganguly
- 7 – MS Dhoni
- 7 – Shubman Gill
Gill’s seven awards have all come since 2022, underlining the consistency he has shown in the format. No other Indian player has collected more than three Player of the Series awards during that period.
Reflecting on India’s performance after the final ODI, Gill said: “A lot of boxes ticked. I think there are still some areas that definitely need some fine-tuning. I was very happy with the total. I think the game was in control.”
He also highlighted areas India needs to improve ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
“Decently pleased, I would say, but as I said, I think there are still some areas. Our fielding could be much better. Overall in the series, I think we dropped around six or seven catches, which is not a good sign leading up to the World Cup.”