Ahead of the first ODI against Australia Indian skipper Shubman Gill spoke about his relation with Rohit Sharma following his appointment as India’s new ODI captain replacing Sharma, and expressed his comfort and admiration for Hitman and Virat Kohli, highlighting the strong bond and valuable guidance he’s receiving from them as he steps into his new role as ODI captain.
He also expressed excitement in following the legacy of former Indian captains MS Dhoni, Kohli, and Sharma before stepping into his first assignment as ODI skipper.
The first ODI between India and Australia will take place on Sunday in Perth at the Optus Stadium.
“(On equation with Rohit Sharma) I think the narrative outside is different, but among us, nothing has changed. Everything is the same as it was before, and that is very helpful. Whatever they feel–their experience, whatever they have learned, whether by reading the pitch or any situation–I go to them and ask what they think, how they would do it if they were in my place. I like knowing people’s thoughts and then, based on my own understanding of the game, I make my decisions accordingly,” Shubman Gill told the media.
This series marks the return of Ro-Ko, two Indian heavyweights who will be seen in action for the first time in the Indian jersey since the ICC Champions Trophy Final earlier this year.
“Definitely very exciting, a big shoes for me to fill in carrying the legacy forward of first Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni), then Virat bhai (Virat Kohli), and Rohit bhai (Rohit Sharma) has left for us. I had numerous conversations with Rohit and Virat about how to take the team forward, and those leanings and experiences will help our team,” he concluded.
This will be Gill’s first assignment as ODI skipper after replacing Rohit Sharma. India is touring Australia for three ODIs and five T20Is. The series will commence with the 50-Over fixtures on Sunday, and the second and third ODIs will be played on October 23 and 25. The five T20Is will be played from October 29 to November 8.
For Gill, the leadership duties have come thick and fast since May. After Rohit called it a day in Test format with a brief message, the 26-year-old was tasked to lead India for a gruelling five-match Test tour of England, which ended in a 2-2 draw. He walked the talk, piled up a record-shattering 754 runs at 75.40, with a career-best 269, as the series concluded level on 2-2.
Indian squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal.
