Shubman Gill has revealed he was informed about his ODI captaincy promotion before the official announcement — and even before the public was made aware of Rohit Sharma’s removal from the role.
“Yes, it was announced in the middle of a Test match (vs. West Indies) but I got to know a little before that,” Gill said ahead of the second Test in New Delhi. “It obviously is a big responsibility and an even bigger honour. So, very excited to lead my country in that format.”
“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 added.
The transition signals a new era in Indian white-ball cricket. Rohit Sharma, who most recently led India to a Champions Trophy title, stepped down from the 50-over captaincy after a long and successful tenure. Gill, just 26, now holds the reins in both Test and ODI formats.
A whirlwind rise and eyes firmly on the future
In the span of just a few months, Gill has gone from promising opener to India’s multi-format captain — a steep trajectory that few have managed at such a young age.
“The last few months have been very exciting for me. But I’m really looking forward to what the future has. I want to stay as present as possible and don’t really want to look back on what I’ve been able to achieve or what we as a team have been able to achieve. Just want to look forward and win everything that we have in the upcoming months,” Gill said.
The new ODI skipper is set to begin his tenure in the upcoming three-match series against Australia, starting October 19 in Perth — his first assignment against the reigning World Cup champions.
Leading in all formats comes with a price
While Gill’s rise has been impressive, it hasn’t come without challenges. He acknowledged the toll of playing across formats, especially the mental fatigue of constant cricket and high expectations.
“Yes, I think more than physically. Most of the time, I feel fine, but sometimes there is mental fatigue. When you are constantly playing, there is obviously a certain expectation that I have for myself. To be able to keep up with my own expectations sometimes becomes a challenge,” Gill admitted.
“But I think that’s the challenge — to be able to play all the formats for India. I want to play all the formats and succeed in all the formats for the country and win ICC titles. So if I want to do that, then this is the challenge that I have to go through.”
Building a new core with Gambhir’s guidance
Gill has been working closely with new head coach Gautam Gambhir — a partnership that appears to be built on trust, strategy, and long-term planning.
“Our relation is really good. It’s very simple actually. We always try to have conversations around how we can make the players feel more secure and what kind of combinations we can play,” Gill shared.
The focus, Gill says, is on creating a stable and consistent squad — particularly in India’s fast-bowling department, an area both he and Gambhir see as crucial to success overseas.
“We sort of want to look at an 18 or 15-member squad where we are picking constantly from that bunch. And one of the key things that we discuss is how we can build our fast bowlers. We have a pool of good fast bowlers and we want to be able to keep recruiting them so that they get enough opportunities to come whenever we tour South Africa, Australia or New Zealand.”
What Gill’s ODI captaincy means for Indian cricket
While the move signals a generational shift, it doesn’t necessarily close the door on Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli for the 2027 ODI World Cup. But the selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, is clearly focused on long-term squad consistency, strategic workload management, and leadership evolution.
Gill’s first true test as ODI captain begins soon. But with a clear mindset, support from senior players, and a strong partnership with Gambhir, India’s next era in 50-over cricket is already taking shape — and Shubman Gill is firmly at the center of it.
India’s ODI squad vs Australia
Captain: Shubman Gill
Players: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna
