India’s new ODI captain, Shubman Gill, has opened up about succeeding Rohit Sharma and shared that he was aware of his elevation as skipper even before the formal announcement was made. Gill revealed that the decision came during the middle of a Test match, but he had already been informed. The young captain expressed excitement about leading India in the ODI format while reaffirming that senior stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli remain vital to India’s plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Speaking to the media ahead of the three-match ODI series against Australia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on October 9, Gill said, “It was announced in the middle of a Test match but I already knew it. It is an honour, the last three months have been great for me. We have achieved a lot as a team and would like to focus on that going forward.”
Passing The Baton
Gill, who already leads India in Tests, took over the ODI captaincy from Rohit Sharma, who guided India to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 title. His appointment sparked conversations about the future of Rohit and Kohli in white-ball cricket. While chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated that both veterans were “non-committal” regarding their participation in the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Gill clarified that they still have a major role to play.
“Rohit and Kohli have won India a lot of matches, they have the quality and skill. They are surely there in the mix for next World Cup,” Gill told reporters.
Pace Is The Focus
The 26-year-old batter, who has been working closely with head coach Gautam Gambhir, said his discussions with the coach are solely about cricket. He emphasized that Gambhir’s focus is on strengthening India’s pace resources. “My relationship is simple with him (GG). We always discuss cricket, one main thing is that we discuss is how to develop fast bowlers. We have a great pool already and it’s just how we develop it,” Gill said.
Gill’s first challenge as ODI captain will come on October 19 at Perth Stadium when India take on Australia in the upcoming ODI series. His leadership will be tested against the reigning world champions, but this time he will have the backing of experienced campaigners Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Having drawn his first Test assignment as captain 2-2 against England, Gill is now looking to lead India to more consistent success in the 50-over format.
India’s ODI Squad
Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal.
