Shubman Gill’s meteoric rise reached another milestone as he was appointed India’s new ODI captain, taking over from Rohit Sharma. The selectors believe Gill’s form, maturity, and popularity make him the ideal choice to lead the team into a new era of white-ball cricket.
During the third day of the first Test against the West Indies at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, Gill briefly left the field after lunch. Devdutt Padikkal took over as substitute, while vice-captain Ravindra Jadeja managed on-field decisions. It later emerged that Gill had joined a virtual selection meeting, where he was officially named India’s new ODI skipper for the upcoming Australia series.
At just 26, Gill already wears several hats — Test captain, ODI skipper, and T20I vice-captain under Suryakumar Yadav. With 16 major brand endorsements and immense popularity, he is now the BCCI’s poster boy. The board also views him as a marketable face for the sport, even if it means balancing competing sponsorship deals — like the tyre brand on his bat and the team’s jersey sponsor being rivals.
Packed Schedule Raises Burnout Concerns
Gill’s new role comes with a relentless calendar. India’s Test series against the West Indies ends on October 14, while the Australian tour begins just five days later on October 19 in Perth. That series will be followed by five T20Is concluding on November 8. Immediately after, a two-Test series against South Africa begins on November 14, stretching until December 19.
Between October 10 and December 19, Gill will travel more than 19,000 miles, open the innings in T20Is, bat at No. 4 in Tests, and captain the ODI side. He is also expected to justify the decision to open alongside Abhishek Sharma while Sanju Samson drops down the order.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar dismissed worries about overuse. “Hopefully not. I mean, he’s still quite young. I mean, we saw what he did in England under immense pressure. So, there were really positive signs there. You’ve seen his record in One-day cricket as a batter. We hope there’s no burnout,” Agarkar said.
Gill’s ODI statistics underline his consistency. In 55 matches, he has amassed 2,775 runs at an average of 59.04 and a strike rate of 99.56, including eight centuries and 15 fifties. His record places him on a trajectory to become one of the greats, much like his idol Virat Kohli.
Leadership Challenges and Criticism
Despite his success, Gill faces significant leadership challenges. Managing senior players like Kohli and Rohit — who helped build the current white-ball setup — will test his diplomacy and authority. While Test captaincy was straightforward with both veterans retired, the ODI setup remains a more delicate balance.
Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif questioned the timing of Gill’s promotion. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he remarked, “He’s getting all of it in a hurry. It could also lead to a loss. When you get so much in such a short time, it could backfire.”
Kaif further warned about the risk of overburdening him. “My point is that don’t overburden him. He captains in Tests, bats at No. 4. He was made the vice-captain in the Asia Cup — will take over when Suryakumar Yadav steps aside. Now you’ve made him the ODI captain. I feel everything is being done in a hurry. A player never asks for captaincy. Everyone knows that he didn’t want it. You can’t demand it, but everyone seems to like him a lot and considers him a captain for the future. The selectors, including Ajit Agarkar, have pressurised him.”
As the new leader of India’s ODI side, Shubman Gill now faces the challenge of meeting massive expectations, managing workload, and delivering results — all while shaping the next era of Indian cricket.
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