NEW DELHI: In a significant announcement on Saturday, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed that former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will remain integral to India’s plans for the upcoming white-ball tour of Australia. This comes as young sensation Shubman Gill takes the reins as the new ODI captain.
Addressing concerns about the two veterans’ fitness following an extended break from international cricket, Agarkar provided reassurance. “They have both completed their fitness tests and met all the necessary standards. I haven’t heard anything suggesting otherwise,” he stated.
Agarkar also touched upon the unique scenario of Rohit and Kohli focusing on just one format. “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’d have to ask them directly, as it’s not a common occurrence,” he remarked, underscoring the board’s unwavering confidence in their enduring contribution to the squad.
Shubman Gill, 26, who currently captains India in Tests, will now expand his leadership role to include ODIs. He will also serve as vice-captain in T20Is, under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav. Agarkar emphasized the strategic decision to consolidate leadership: “From a planning perspective, it’s virtually impossible to have three different captains across three formats. We are certainly looking ahead and beginning our preparations for the next ODI World Cup. It’s essential to provide the new captain sufficient time.”
Agarkar confirmed that Rohit Sharma had been apprised of the captaincy change and indicated that both Rohit and Gill are likely to form the opening partnership in ODIs. Promising young talent like Yashasvi Jaiswal is also being considered for the lineup.
With Shubman Gill leading the charge and Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli providing invaluable experience as senior batsmen, Team India is poised with a balanced blend of seasoned expertise and dynamic new leadership as it gears up for the Australian tour, commencing on October 19.
India’s ODI Squad:
- 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