Gill weighs in on Kohli and Rohit’s role in India's ODI side

In a major update ahead of India’s white-ball tour of Australia, Shubman Gill was announced as India’s new ODI captain.

Already having made an impact as captain in the longest format of the game, Gill now has his attention turned towards the big prize in the 50-overs format - the 2027 Men’s Cricket World Cup.

And with the return of experienced campaigners Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the ODI squad, Gill has opened up on their roles in the lead-up to the marquee tournament.

"Absolutely," Gill said, when asked if he saw Rohit and Kohli playing an important role in ODIs leading into the next Cricket World Cup.

"The experience the two of them have (is immense), and there are very few players who can match the number of matches they have won for India.

"There are very few players in the world with such skill and quality along with that experience, and we look at it from that perspective."

Both Sharma and Kohli are poised to return to international action for the first time since India’s ICC Champions Trophy triumph in March this year.

The veteran batting duo had been in prime form during India’s previous Cricket World Cup campaign, which saw them finish as runner-ups.

Kohli finished as the tournament’s leading run-getter, amassing 765 runs from 11 outings, averaging a staggering 95.62. Skipper at the time, Rohit led from the front with the bat and was next in the run-scoring tally, notching 597 runs at a blazing strike rate of 125.95.

Taking over the reins from Rohit, Gill believes he has inherited crucial qualities that are likely to come to his aid.

"So many qualities that I have inherited from Rohit bhai - the calmness that he possesses, and the kind of friendship that he has among the group is something that I aspire to, these are the qualities that I want to take from him.”

Named India’s Test captain earlier this summer, Gill’s first assignment in England saw him finish as the leading run-scorer in a memorable five-Test series which ended in a 2-2 draw.

Put in charge of the ODI side, Gill elaborated on the immense challenge that lies ahead of him.

"[The ODI captaincy] is obviously is a big responsibility and an even bigger honour, so I'm very excited to lead my country in that format, and yes, the last few months have been very exciting for me, but I'm really looking forward to what the future has," he said.

"I want to stay [in the] present as [much as] possible and don't really want to look back on what I've been able to achieve or what we, as a team, have been able to achieve. Just want to look forward and win everything that we have in the upcoming months."

With Gill at helm, India will kickstart their tour of Australia with the first of three ODIs on October 19 in Perth.