New India ODI skipper Shubman Gill has come out in robust support of seasoned pros Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, asserting that they are the key figures for India’s 2027 ODI World Cup hopes. Talking about the present row over their future in the 50-over game, Gill made it abundantly clear that the team “needs them” in the days ahead.
Speaking ahead of the second Test against West Indies in New Delhi, starting on Friday, Gill responded to growing questions over whether the Indian team is gradually replacing Kohli-Rohit generation in ODIs. He said that batsmen of their quality and experience are not frequent visitors and that they are irreplaceable, especially in high-profile events like the World Cup.
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“The experience that both of them have and the matches that they have won for India, there are very few players who have won so many matches for India. And the players who have such skills and qualities, and the players who have such skills and qualities with this experience are very few. There are very few players in the world who have so much skill, quality and experience. So, in that sense, yes,” Gill said.
With both the veterans already announcing their retirement from Test cricket and T20 Internationals, ODIs remain their only active format. Kohli is in London, and Rohit is in his Mumbai house, but both are set to report to the national team in New Delhi before departing for the Australia series, which commences on October 19.
Gill, 25, who will also captain India in that three-match ODI series, talked about the leadership legacy he would inherit. He said he would like to bring a sense of calmness in the dressing room that he felt during Rohit Sharma’s captaincy reign.
