India’s changing of the guard in one-day cricket took a decisive turn on Saturday as Shubman Gill was named India’s new ODI captain, replacing Rohit Sharma for the upcoming three-match series in Australia starting October 19.
The move, announced alongside the T20I squad for the same tour, marks another key step in India’s leadership evolution. Gill, who already captains India in Tests and serves as the T20I vice-captain, will now lead across two formats, symbolising the team’s generational shift.
It’s practically impossible to have three different captains for three formats in terms of planning. You’ve got to start planning. You also play it the least. We are two years away. We don’t play as many games. It is a bit of a challenge with one-day cricket. The focus has been on the T20 World Cup. We will surely start planning for the ODI World Cup. Gives the next guy enough time.
When asked if Rohit had been informed of the decision, Agarkar said succinctly, “It’s a conversation between me and Rohit. But of course, he’s been communicated.”
Gill’s Rise Continues Amid Confidence from Selectors
Gill’s appointment comes shortly after he led India to a thumping innings and 140-run win over the West Indies in his first Test as captain on home soil. His poise and leadership under pressure, Agarkar said, gave the selectors confidence in his readiness.
Hopefully not. Still quite young. We saw what he did in England under immense pressure. Really positive signs there. We hope there’s no burnout. As team management, we try to manage it as best as possible. You’ve also got to give the guy enough time.
Shreyas Iyer will serve as Gill’s deputy in ODIs, while Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant remain sidelined due to injuries.
Opening Combination Unchanged; Workload Managed for Bumrah
At the moment, Rohit and Gill are likely to open. People tend to forget how good Jaiswal is. It’s not like a Test series where you can carry a few extras.
With Jasprit Bumrah rested for the ODI leg to manage workload, Agarkar clarified the reasoning. “We’ve already rested him for the one-day games. When we can manage his workload, we will do it. There is always a plan. We all know how important he is. We also need to consider the team's interest. Siraj bowls a lot of overs as well. We’ll try to manage the seamers to minimise the risk of injury,” he explained.
‘Would Have Been Difficult Even if India Hadn’t Won the CT’
Asked whether removing Rohit as ODI captain was a difficult call after India’s Champions Trophy triumph, Agarkar admitted it was never going to be easy.
Even if India had not won the Champions Trophy, it would have been difficult. But you’ve got to look at what’s best for the team. It’s tough with one-day cricket. You want to take a call reasonably early to give the new guy enough time.
Rohit and Kohli’s fitness and future
Both Rohit and Virat Kohli, returning to the ODI setup for the first time since the Champions Trophy win, have cleared fitness tests. “They have both done their fitness tests. They’ve gone through the required norms that have been put in place. I haven’t heard anything beyond that,” said Agarkar.
Those are two really experienced guys who have been around for a long time. They will find it really weird to play just one format. You should ask them. It doesn’t happen too many times.
Agarkar also said the board expects senior players to stay connected with the domestic circuit when possible. “Whenever the guys are playing or not, they should be playing domestic cricket. Whether it’s possible with international cricket playing or not, time will tell,” he noted.
No Jadeja; Opportunities for Youngsters
The ODI squad sees Ravindra Jadeja omitted, while Nitish Kumar Reddy, Dhruv Jurel, and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been given opportunities. The bowling group includes Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, and Prasidh Krishna.
Agarkar also confirmed that Hardik Pandya will not feature in the Australia tour. “At the moment, he’s not going to be fit for Australia due to the injury he picked up before the finals of the Asia Cup. Once he starts his rehab, we’ll get a better idea of the timeline,” he said.
Australia Tour Schedule
India’s white-ball tour begins with the ODI series opener at the Perth Stadium on October 19, followed by matches at the Adelaide Oval (October 23) and Sydney Cricket Ground (October 25).
The five-match T20I series follows, starting at Manuka Oval in Canberra (October 29), before heading to Melbourne (October 31), Hobart (November 2), Gold Coast (November 6), and Brisbane (November 8).
The last bilateral ODI series between the two sides in Australia saw the hosts win 2-1 in 2020–21, before India bounced back to take the T20I series by the same margin.
Squads: India’s ODI Squad: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal.
India’s T20I Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (VC), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.
