India suffered a significant 2-1 defeat in the three-match One Day International series against New Zealand, concluding with the third ODI played on January 18, 2026, at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. This historic loss marked New Zealand's first-ever ODI series victory on Indian soil. Following the series decider, where India failed to chase a formidable target of 338 runs despite a heroic century from Virat Kohli, discussions emerged regarding the form of veteran opener Rohit Sharma. Sharma had a disappointing outing in the series, aggregating only 61 runs across three innings at an average of 20.33, without registering a single half-century. In the crucial third ODI, he was dismissed for just 11 runs off 13 balls. During the post-match press conference, India captain Shubman Gill addressed questions about Sharma's performance, offering a direct defense. Gill emphasized that Rohit Sharma has been in "terrific form" in preceding series against Australia and South Africa. He clarified that while Sharma got some starts in the New Zealand series, converting every start into a big score or a century is not always feasible for a batsman. This statement aimed to mitigate concerns about Rohit's overall batting prowess, placing the recent low scores in the context of the game's inherent unpredictability and the challenges of converting promising starts. The original article's claims are accurate and well-corroborated by multiple credible sources reporting on this recent series.