New Delhi – In a significant announcement on Saturday, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed that India’s cricketing stalwarts, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, are fully fit and will play pivotal roles in the upcoming white-ball tour of Australia. This comes as young batting sensation Shubman Gill steps up to take the reins as the new ODI captain, a move aimed at unifying leadership across formats.
Agarkar addressed concerns about the veterans’ readiness after their break from international matches, stating, “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.”
Acknowledging the unique situation of Rohit and Kohli focusing on a single format, Agarkar remarked on its rarity: “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.” This statement underscores the board’s unwavering confidence in their continued contributions to the team’s success.
Shubman Gill, at 26, already leads India in Test cricket and will now extend his captaincy to ODIs. He will also serve as vice-captain in T20Is, with Suryakumar Yadav leading that format. Agarkar elaborated on this strategic shift: “It’s practically impossible to have three different captains for three formats in terms of planning… We will surely start planning for the ODI World Cup. Give the next guy enough time.” This decision aims for long-term stability and planning, especially with an eye on future World Cups.
The chief selector also revealed that Rohit Sharma was informed of these captaincy changes. Looking ahead to the opening combination, Agarkar hinted at a likely partnership between Rohit and Gill at the top of the order for ODIs. Young talent like Yashasvi Jaiswal is also firmly in consideration, showcasing the team’s blend of experience and emerging stars.
With Gill leading the charge and seasoned players like Rohit and Kohli continuing to anchor the batting, Team India is poised to strike a balance between veteran experience and dynamic new leadership as they prepare for the challenging Australian tour, set to commence on October 19.
India’s ODI squad for the Australia tour:
- Shubman Gill (Captain)
- Rohit Sharma
- Virat Kohli
- Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain)
- Axar Patel
- KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper)
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Washington Sundar
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Harshit Rana
- Mohammed Siraj
- Arshdeep Singh
- Prasidh Krishna
- Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal