Rohit Sharma will most likely open the innings with Shubman Gill in ODIs v England.
Rohit, who had been a big-innings accumulator during the first half of his ODI starting career, switched tactics in the 2022-23 season. His batting average dropped from the high 50s to approximately mid-40s, but his strike rate skyrocketed nearing 120, ranking among the best for openers over the last two years.
In the 2023 World Cup, he was the second-highest run-scorer with 597 runs at an average of 54.27 and a fantastic strike rate of 125.95.
His rapid starts in the powerplay laid excellent groundwork for India, placing pressure on the opposition bowlers while also eliminating top-order collapses caused by extra swing and/or seam.
“The way Rohit bhai has been batting in the ODIs in the past year and a half, it’s been really game-changing for us. Taking the momentum right through from the start and taking the game away form ball one and it makes the job of the non-striker and the batsmen coming in a bit easier and I think it has helped our team a lot,” Gill said ahead of India’s first ODI in Nagpur.
Gill and Rohit had an incredible 2023 as opening partners, with the former scoring five centuries in the format. The 25-year-old's consistency also inspired the BCCI to name him Rohit's vice-captain for the format.
The three one-day internationals versus England are the last before the 2025 Champions Trophy begins on February 19. However, Gill stated that India is not viewing this series as merely a rehearsal for the championship.
“We are playing against a good side and three ODIs and we are not taking this as a practice for the Champions Trophy as it is a very important series for us and we are looking to dominate and win this series like any other series,” Gill added.
The first ODI will be played on February 6 followed by the second and third in Cuttack and Ahmedabad on February 9 and 12, respectively.
(PTI inputs)