Shubman Gill Rohit Sharma currently represents India exclusively in ODIs and led the team to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year. Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif recently shared his thoughts on the future of veteran ODI captain Rohit Sharma and suggested that Shubman Gill could soon take over as India’s captain in the 50-over format.
Rohit Sharma has been at the helm of India’s ODI team since 2021. Under his leadership, India won the Asia Cup in 2023, reached the final of the 2023 ICC World Cup, and clinched the ICC Champions Trophy in March 2025. However, at 38, Sharma retired from T20 Internationals in 2024 and has also stepped away from Test cricket.
With the 2026 T20 World Cup approaching and only a limited number of ODIs scheduled, including a white-ball tour of Australia this October featuring three ODIs and five T20Is, the ODI calendar is relatively sparse.
Though Rohit remains India’s ODI captain and continues to play only this format alongside Virat Kohli, Mohammad Kaif believes a leadership change may be on the horizon.
“Gill Is Ready to Lead” — Mohammad Kaif on India’s ODI Captaincy Prospects
Ahead of the recent England Test series, many questioned Shubman Gill’s readiness to captain India after taking over from Rohit Sharma. Despite doubts about the team’s chances, what unfolded was one of the most memorable Test series in recent times.
Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes Shubman Gill is more than ready to take on the white-ball captaincy as well, whenever Rohit Sharma decides to step down. While Gill himself acknowledges there are leadership lessons ahead, Kaif is confident about his potential.
“He will eventually get the ODI captaincy because Rohit’s tenure as captain is uncertain. Shubman Gill is ready to take the reins. He’s a strong white-ball scorer and has led from the front during Tests. Leading a young team means you must perform with both the bat and leadership—he did exactly that. Overall, it was a brilliant tour for him,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
Kaif added, “In this series, Shubman Gill created opportunities with both bat and leadership. When he was appointed captain, many questioned the decision due to his Test record. But under intense pressure, with a young squad, he responded superbly with the bat—at one point even drawing comparisons to breaking Sir Don Bradman’s record. It was an outstanding comeback.”
Gill is widely regarded as a future all-format captain for India. While he has led India in T20 Internationals as well, Suryakumar Yadav currently holds the permanent captaincy in the shortest format.
