This marks a generational shift in Indian cricket, signaling an imminent transition in leadership ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup. While Rohit remains in the squad for now, his captaincy era appears to be nearing its end, with the Board preparing a smooth handover to Gill.
New Test skipper Shubman Gill took charge as India finished the five-match Test series in England with a 2-2 draw. He amassed over 750 runs, including a remarkable top score exceeding 250. His performance with the bat and as captain was commendable. Although India could not secure a Test series victory in England for the first time in 18 years, they successfully avoided a third consecutive Test series defeat after losing 3-0 to New Zealand and 3-1 to Australia.
Prior to the series, there were numerous concerns regarding India’s ability to perform under an inexperienced leader, especially with several key players absent for various reasons. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin had retired, Mohammed Shami was unfit, and Shreyas Iyer was omitted from the squad. Additionally, Jasprit Bumrah participated in only three Tests, limiting India’s access to his full capabilities throughout the series. Ultimately, the outcome was deemed satisfactory. In fact, had Bumrah not overstepped at Headingley, and if Yashasvi had taken his catches, along with our batters holding on a bit longer at Lord’s, India could have clinched a 4-0 victory or at least a 3-1 win.
Meanwhile, former Indian player Mohammad Kaif believes that Gill should now be considered for the ODI captaincy as well. Rohit remains the ODI captain, having led India to the Champions Trophy title nearly five months ago. However, at 38, he is nearing the end of his career. Although he wishes to continue until the 2027 ODI World Cup, he may not be in charge by that time.
“He will get the ODI captaincy as well because we don’t know how long Rohit Sharma will continue as captain. Gill is ready to take over. He scores in white-ball. He has performed well as captain here in Tests and led from the front. When you go with a young team, you have to do both things – score with the bat and do well as captain. A brilliant tour for him overall,” Kaif said while speaking on his YouTube channel.
“Shubman Gill, as captain, created opportunities with both hands in this series. When he became captain, there were many questions as to why he was made captain, looking at his Test record. A young captain reached England under a lot of pressure with a young team. He answered with his bat and it came to a point where he was compared to breaking Sir Don Bradman’s record. Such a strong comeback with the bat,” he added.
Rohit announced his retirement from T20Is in 2024, alongside Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, after clinching the T20 World Cup. Shortly before the announcement of the squad for England, he also decided to end his Test career. Kohli made a similar announcement a few days later. Currently, ODIs are the only format he continues to participate in, a commitment he has maintained for over 18 years.
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