Shubman Gill will make his ODI captaincy debut against Australia on October 19 in Perth.
After sweeping the home Test series 2-0 against the West Indies, Team India’s focus will now shift to white-ball cricket. The Men in Blue are set to travel down under for three ODIs and five T20Is.
Shubman Gill will make his ODI captaincy debut against Australia, starting October 19 in Perth. Earlier this month, the BCCI selectors removed the 38-year-old Rohit Sharma from ODI captaincy and handed over the reins to Gill, with the 2027 World Cup firmly in sight.
Rohit and Virat Kohli, however, continue to feature in the 15-member ODI squad as specialist batters.
Speaking to PTI Videos, former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop suggested Gill's captaincy will benefit from Rohit and Kohli's support in Australia.
According to Bishop, Gill possesses the temperament and skill to lead India but will need time to develop his tactical acumen.
“He’ll be fine. Those two guys will help him along the way. He will grow in the job," Bishop said.
“He’s nowhere near the finished article. People have to give him that chance to grow as a captain, and as a batsman, he will grow as well."
“He has the temperament and the skill to lead, but the growth in captaincy and tactics is something that will take a couple of seasons to develop. I’m sure he’ll get help from the two veterans," he added.
When asked about the possibility of Rohit and Kohli participating in the 2027 World Cup, Bishop said it would depend on their motivation and fitness.
“That’s their decision. I can’t answer that for Rohit or for Virat or for the BCCI. It depends on their determination and skill. They’ve been fine so far," he stated.
India won the second Test against the West Indies in Delhi by seven wickets on Tuesday (October 14) to sweep series 2-0. While West Indies were hammered by an innings and 140 runs in the series opener at Ahmedabad, they fought back in the second Test after a disastrous start.
After posting a massive 518/5 (declared) on the board, India wrapped up West Indies’ first innings at 248 in Delhi. Having gained a massive lead of 270 runs, the home side decided to enforce the follow-on.
However, the Caribbean batters put up a spirited performance in their second dig. Riding on centuries from John Campbell (115) and Shai Hope (103), the tourists posted 390/10 in 118.5 overs and made India bat again. Justin Greaves (50) and skipper Roston Chase (40) also made notable contributions with the bat.
KL Rahul's unbeaten 58 guided India to their target of 121 the morning session on Day 5.
Reflecting on the second Test, Bishop said: “From a West Indian perspective, it was great to see a few of the batters spending time at the crease. The trust they showed in the pitch was excellent."
“It’s not that they’ve arrived, but they’ve put some building blocks in place," he concluded.
(With inputs from PTI)