India captain Shubman Gill has thrown his support behind the ICC’s decision to retain the 50-over format, calling the ODI World Cup the sport’s most prestigious tournament while proposing the return of tri-series and quadrangular competitions to revive interest in one-day cricket.
Ahead of India’s first ODI against England in Birmingham, Gill shared his views on the future of ODI cricket, saying the format does not need to be shortened to 40 overs. Instead, he believes introducing more multi-team tournaments would make the format more competitive and entertaining for players as well as fans.
Shubman Gill backs 50-over format
Gill said the ODI format has been a major part of his cricketing journey and insisted the 50-over World Cup continues to hold unmatched significance.
“I grew up watching 50-over cricket a lot and it remained an integral part of my childhood. When I think of the World Cup, the first thought that comes to mind is the 50-over World Cup. For me, the 50-over World Cup is the most prestigious World Cup. I don’t think it should be changed to 40 overs,” Gill said.
The ICC recently decided against making changes to the length of ODI matches, despite ongoing debates about the format’s future amid the growing popularity of T20 cricket.
Gill wants tri-series and quadrangular tournaments back
Rather than altering the format, Gill suggested that international cricket should bring back tri-series and quadrangular tournaments, which were once a regular feature of the ODI calendar.
“One thing is that we used to play a lot of triangular series and it was really fun to watch. India, Australia and Sri Lanka used to play these tournaments. If I ever get a chance to play in a triangular series, it will be fun because you are not playing one team continuously. If we want to make this format more interesting, instead of having bilateral series, we can have triangular or quadrangular series. That’ll be interesting to play and to watch,” he added.
India focused on ODI goals despite T20I setbacks
India head into the England ODI series after defeats in the recent T20I series against Ireland and England, but Gill believes the results in the shortest format will have no impact on the 50-over squad.
“I don’t think that will have an impact on this team. It’s a different format, a different team and the goal is different. We just played the T20 World Cup and won. Now, playing the one-day series, our team has a different goal as to what we want to achieve. In that regard, I think the atmosphere is different,” he said.
Gill on India’s 2027 World Cup preparations
The India captain also stressed the need to give younger players exposure ahead of the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup, while acknowledging that injuries to Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana have affected the team’s planning.
“I don’t think there are any concerning areas. And I also don’t think we have an unsettled XI. But obviously you have to give the new players a chance and experience. The more they are in pressure situations and the more they do well, the better it will be for us before the World Cup,” Gill said.
He added that India had hoped to give Reddy and Rana more opportunities before injuries forced a change in plans.
