Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik has stated that Shubman Gill must actively stamp his authority on the Indian ODI team rather than operating as a passive captain.
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Karthik compared Gill's captaincy takeover to an elder son in a family who has responsibilities handed to him rather than actively built.
He noted that the current squad feels more like it belongs to head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar than to Gill himself.
Karthik advised that while Gill is widely respected for his batting prowess and core values, he needs to "put his foot down" and exhibit the same leadership courage he previously showed with the Gujarat Titans to command complete authority.
"I feel that he has inherited this team as a captain. In fact, it has been thrust upon him; it's like in a family, the elder son is thrust into some things. It was more of Rohit Sharma's way when it started, but I feel this is Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir's team more than Shubman Gill's team up until today. We are hearing that Ajit Agarkar probably won't be around as a selector anymore, so it almost becomes Gautam Gambhir's team. But Shubman Gill has to put his foot down at times and form a strong partnership, and that is when he will get respect within the team," Karthik said.
"I do feel it is a stage where he is a good batter, people respect him for that. He has shown a good value system as captain as well; he did well in England as a Test captain. He has done well for Gujarat Titans. Now it is his time and turn to show the same sort of courage and attitude to lead this Indian team forward," he added.
Former India batter Ajinkya Rahane emphasized that despite Gill's relative inexperience at the international captaincy level, he needs to establish his own authority and distinct "brand of cricket" rather than just managing an inherited squad.
"Sure, he is a young captain and does not have much experience, but he has to take charge now. We can say that he has not led the team in many games, but only a year is left for the World Cup now. He has to take charge of what brand of cricket he wishes to see from his team. We have to set aside the fact that he is a young and inexperienced captain. He has to take authority now through communication with the head coach; I think he has to show that authority as captain," Rahane said on Cricbuzz.
Shubman Gill has won only one ODI series as captain, which was a 3-0 clean sweep against Afghanistan in June 2026. Since being handed the ODI captaincy in October 2025, his tenure has seen early hurdles during a team transition, resulting in bilateral series losses to Australia, New Zealand, and England.
Gill is currently leading India in the three-match home ODI series against the West Indies, which got underway on September 27 in Thiruvananthapuram.
