Former South African captain AB de Villiers has backed the selectors’ call to hand over the ODI captaincy baton to Shubman Gill from Rohit Sharma. Rohit Sharma captained India in 56 ODIs, out of which the team won 42 matches, lost 12, tied one, and had one no-result.
Gill will lead India in the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia, with Rohit also part of the ODI squad. The youngster was appointed as India’s Test captain ahead of the England tour after Rohit Sharma had announced his retirement. Ajit Agarkar, the chief selector, said it is difficult to have three different captains for three different formats.
AB de Villiers said on his YouTube Channel, “It’s not a guarantee both of them will be there for that next World Cup. That’s maybe part of the thinking when they made Shubman Gill the ODI captain. He has a good chance of being there, young gun, in incredible form, and a fantastic leader. I think this was the right move, to still have Rohit and Virat. Shubman Gill will learn from two of the most experienced Indian players of all time, high-quality, legendary players. It will be fantastic for Shubman to have them around. It will be for the tour, which is around the corner, actually. So, we will be buckling up for some high entertainment and a great series.”
On the other hand, the former RCB batter said the veteran batters like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma can help Gill in becoming a great leader in the ODI format. Kohli and Rohit have all the leadership experience under their belt, and Gill would look to pick up their brains.
AB added, “They find themselves in the ODI side. I think that is the reason they are hanging on, to play another World Cup for Team India. It’s great to see. Whether it’s going to happen, I don’t know. Honestly? Form-dependent or are they playing enough cricket? It will take a lot from them to be there in 2027. Still a long way away. It’s not that far, but it’s not so close. There’s lot of cricket to be played and form to be kept. They’ve got to score runs, and that should be the message from the selectors. As big as legends they are, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will walk into my team and I will play them without looking at where they’ve been or what they’ve been doing.”
“But the kind of competition Team India has these days and the quality, these two know they have to go out and score runs. It would be a great asset for Team India in the World Cup to have them there. But the priority is to score runs. I have no doubt the two of them will come through and we will see them at the 2027 World Cup. They will also guide a lot of youngsters along the way and help Shubman to become a great captain.”
The first ODI between India and Australia will be played on October 19.
