Indian cricket seems to be heading towards a decisive phase of transition as the attention is slowly turned towards the next generation of leadership. Though the thought of having one captain for all formats has been pondered, recent updates indicate that a more divided-responsibility line of thinking could be in the pipeline.
Shubman Gill’s Role Evolving Amid Format Overload
The selection panel, headed by Ajit Agarkar, surprised everyone recently by appointing Shubman Gill as vice-captain of India’s T20I team for the Asia Cup 2025 while he is already the Test captain. This action fueled rumors that Gill might be prepared for leadership in all formats.
But the sources indicate that the BCCI is rethinking that strategy, primarily because of workload concerns. Gill has already had a heavy leadership load this year and might be relieved of extra duties in the ODI format.
Shreyas Iyer Likely To Become New ODI Captain
As per a report from Dainik Jagran, Shreyas Iyer has been a strong candidate to be India’s ODI captain, possibly till the 2027 World Cup. Although no official word has come from the board, word from within is said to favor Iyer’s elevation, given his experience, temperament, and consistency in the 50-over game.
Stellar ODI Record Puts Iyer In The Favour
Iyer’s record in ODIs is hard to ignore. With 2,845 runs in 70 games at an average of 48.22, including five centuries, his credentials speak for themselves. His stellar performance in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, impressed everyone as he scored 243 runs across five games with scores of 15, 56, 79, 45, and 48, again cemented his spot as a dependable middle-order option.
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Leadership Decision Depends On Rohit Sharma’s Future
Any such decision to elevate Iyer will also depend on Rohit Sharma’s intentions. Rohit, who has turned 38 this year, is currently the captain of the ODI team. Both Rohit and Virat Kohli have already retired from T20Is and Tests, and there is increasing speculation that they might retire from ODIs too in the near future.
It has been reported that their next ODI series against Australia in October could be their last international engagement. The BCCI will likely sit down after the Asia Cup to draw up a plan for the future that would involve individual meetings with both Rohit and Kohli.
All-Format Captaincy Looks Unlikely For Gill
Though Gill had earlier been considered the natural heir to assume leadership across formats, the recent signs point to the BCCI wanting to manage his workload and captaincy expectations more judiciously. Already being the captain in Tests and a member of the T20 leadership team under Suryakumar Yadav, his direct elevation to the role of ODI captain seems to be pending.
