'They Wouldn't Wait': Gautam Gambhir Finds Support From Ex-India Coach On Shubman Gill Succeeding Rohit Sharma As ODI Captain

Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir are looking forward to 2027, the year of the One Day International (ODI) World Cup and the World Test Championship (WTC) final. Shubman Gill's appointment as the skipper of the ODI side is a clear indication that India have already started their road to the 2027 ODI World Cup, and the upcoming IND vs AUS series is the first step of that journey.

Many believed that Rohit Sharma will continue to lead India till the 2027 ODI World Cup, considering the fact that he won his second ICC trophy as a captain earlier this year, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shocked everybody by naming Shubman Gill as the skipper.

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Ravi Shastri Endorses Shubman Gill, The ODI Skipper

The partnership between Head Coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Shubman Gill has worked pretty well for India in the longest format of the game. Both Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill are expected to extend their golden run in the ODIs as well. Despite chief selector Ajit Agarkar and Head Coach Gautam Gambhir receiving a lot of flak from fans and former India cricketers, Ravi Shastri has opined that Gill being appointed as the ODI skipper was the right call.

"They are looking at the future and this is what Australia did really well in the past. They wouldn't wait till a player starts failing. They'll be proactive like you saw with Ian Healy and Adam Gilchrist, similarly Dean Jones to Steve Waugh. So India are looking ahead two years from now. Gill respects both Rohit and Virat, having played under both of them," the former India coach and the winner of the 1983 World Cup said.

While announcing Shubman Gill as the ODI skipper, chief selector Ajit Agarkar had said that it becomes extremely difficult to work with three captains in three different formats, and hence it is easier for the coaches and the selection committee to work with a single captain in Tests and ODIs.

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Dissecting Rohit Sharma's Performance As The ODI Skipper

Rohit Sharma led India to two Asia Cup (2018 and 2023) victories, a T20 World Cup (2024) victory, and a Champions Trophy (2025) victory. Skipper Sharma led Team India in 56 ODIs, won 42 out of them, and ended his reign as the Indian ODI skipper with a win percentage of seventy six.