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Gill appointed ODI captain; Rohit, Kohli part of squad

Published on: Oct 05, 2025 04:54 AM IST

HT had reported in June that the selectors were considering a leadership change with an eye on the upcoming ODI World Cup, amid questions over Sharma’s fitness and form.

Test skipper Shubman Gill was named India’s one-day international (ODI) captain on Saturday ahead of the upcoming series against Australia, ending Rohit Sharma’s four-year tenure at the helm and signalling the beginning of a new phase in India’s limited-overs setup.

Shubman Gill celebrates with Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar after India won the first Test against the West Indies, in Ahmedabad on Saturday, by an innings and 140 runs. (PTI)

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced that 38-year-old Sharma and 36-year-old Virat Kohli—both of whom retired from Tests in May—will continue to be part of the squad for the three-match series starting October 19 in Australia while noting that Gill was named captain with the 2027 World Cup in mind.

“Obviously, at some stage, you’ve got to start looking at where the next World Cup is. It’s also a format which is played the least now, so you don’t get that many games to actually give the next guy that much time to prepare himself or plan,” he said at a press conference in Ahmedabad

Sharma became the full-time ODI captain in December 2021, taking over from Kohli. He led the team in 56 matches, winning 42 of them. He guided India to victory in the 2023 Asia Cup, a runner-up finish in the 2023 World Cup, and the Champions Trophy win eight months ago.

The chief selector added that the ODI captaincy change was also made to streamline leadership across formats and not have three different captains– Suryakumar Yadav leads the T20I team. “It’s practically impossible to have three different captains across formats… not just in terms of planning for us as selectors, but for the coach as well,” Agarkar said.

With ODIs spread out, especially in the next six months when the focus will be on the T20 World Cup in February-March, Sharma and Kohli will have to show that they can sustain form and fitness for another ICC cycle until the World Cup while sticking to one format. The two retired from T20Is after the 2024 World Cup triumph.

“I don’t think it has happened too many times,” Agarkar said on players choosing to play only ODIs. “Those are two really experienced guys who have been around for a long time, so they would perhaps find it a little bit alien just to play one format which is played the least, but they are the guys to answer that and we will find out a bit more when we see them in Australia playing.”

Unlike in Tests — where Gill had a point to prove as a batter, especially in overseas conditions — his ODI credentials are already well-established, with an impressive average of 59 in 55 matches. “He (Gill) is still quite young. We saw what he did in England under immense pressure, so there were really positive signs there. You’ve also seen his record in one-day cricket as a batter,” Agarkar said.

As captain, Rohit Sharma’s bold, aggressive approach transformed India into one of the most dominant ODI sides in world cricket, with an emphasis on attacking play that has left a lasting blueprint for future generations. Now, he must cement his place solely as a batter — in a format where he is regarded as one of the modern greats, having scored 12,034 runs at an average of 48.77.

Asked what the selectors expect from Sharma and Kohli going forward, Agarkar said: “What they’ve been doing for years — try and score runs. I don’t think that changes. We hope they keep doing it, and you don’t need to look too far ahead at this point.”

 
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