T20 World Cup: The BCCI has one last plan in store for Shubman Gill, with official confirmation reportedly expected in March next year.
Shubman Gill Named India’s ODI Captain as Agarkar Signals Strategic Shift
The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee made a major decision, signaling a clear change in direction for Indian cricket. On Saturday, ahead of the upcoming white-ball tour of Australia, the chief selector confirmed Shubman Gill as India’s new ODI captain, ending Rohit Sharma’s three-year tenure. The BCCI reportedly has a final plan for the 25-year-old, expected to be confirmed next March.
Explaining the rationale behind moving on from Rohit despite his impressive leadership, which includes back-to-back ICC trophies—the 2024 T20 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy—Agarkar emphasized that past results did not influence the decision; it was a forward-looking call. The selectors were united on giving Rohit’s successor sufficient time to prove himself, especially with only a limited number of ODIs before the next major tournament.
“Even if he had not won the Champions Trophy, it would have been a difficult decision because of how good he has been for India. But sometimes you have to look ahead, assess the team’s future, and decide what’s in its best interest. Whether it’s now or six months later, these are the calls we must make. It’s tough with one-day cricket because if you make the change, you want to give the new captain enough time to build confidence in another format. That was the idea. But it’s always a difficult decision when someone has been very successful,” Agarkar said.
Shubman Gill’s Rise Signals India’s Unified Captaincy Vision
According to a PTI report, not only selectors like Ajit Agarkar but also head coach Gautam Gambhir support the decision to elevate Shubman Gill. “A young all-format captain also gives the Indian cricket board a chance to create a solid role model going into the next decade,” the report noted.
Gill is expected to take over India’s T20 captaincy from Suryakumar Yadav after the World Cup in India next February. The report emphasized that the tournament’s result will be immaterial, much like Rohit Sharma’s Champions Trophy triumph.
Previously, Gill was named T20 vice-captain for the Asia Cup in August. Initially appointed in July last year after Gambhir became head coach, Gill missed subsequent T20 series due to prioritization of the Champions Trophy and World Test Championship campaigns, returning only for the continental tournament. He was also named Test captain in May following Rohit Sharma’s sudden retirement, leading India to a record-breaking batting display and a 2-2 draw in his first assignment.
Speaking at a press conference, Agarkar explained that Gill’s promotion was always part of the plan, having served as ODI vice-captain during the Champions Trophy earlier this year. More importantly, the move was intended to end split captaincy.
“It is very difficult to have three different captains for three formats, not just for selectors but also for the coach. Planning with three different people is never easy,” Agarkar said. He also highlighted the need to prepare for the future: “We are two years away from the next T20 World Cup, but with one-day cricket played so infrequently, you don’t get many games to give the next guy enough time to prepare or plan. The last ODI was in March, and the next is in October—so it is a bit of a challenge at the moment.”
