Shubman Gill's decision to bench Arshdeep Singh for the first ODI against New Zealand drew significant backlash from fans and experts. Despite Arshdeep's economical performance in a previous series, the team management opted for Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, and Mohammed Siraj. Captain Gill cited a need to test different combinations for the 2027 World Cup, but this explanation did not appease critics who accused the management of "blatant favouritism" and questioned the selection of Prasidh Krishna over Arshdeep.