India pulled off their highest-ever successful run chase in ODI history by tracking down a massive target of 406 runs against the West Indies at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Wednesday (September 30).
With this remarkable victory, the Men in Blue gained an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series with a game to spare.
During the chase, skipper Shubman Gill smashed an incredible, unbeaten 223 off just 133 deliveries. In doing so, he registered the fastest double century in ODI history off 117 balls.
Gill and Rohit Sharma put on a 255-run opening partnership in just 26.2 overs. Rohit hammered 101 runs off 75 balls, bringing up his 35th ODI century and crossing the landmark of 12,000 ODI runs.
Following the match, Rohit shared his thoughts on Gill’s transition into leadership. Even though Gill has taken the captaincy reins for the ODI transition, Rohit emphasized that it does not change how they communicate or plan together on the field.
"Shubman Gill has a great cricketing brain, no doubt about that. He has been captaining for about a year now, so it is unfair to judge him as a captain so early. But from what I have seen, he has been impressive. He is very clear about what he wants. That is the most important thing a captain should have. If the captain is clear, the players around him will also be clear. That is what I see with Shubman. He knows what he wants and is moving in the right direction. Of course, any captain needs the support of the players and the staff around him. I am sure that in whatever way I can help him, I will do that," Rohit said while speaking to JioStar.
"Shubman is the captain, but that does not mean I stay away from him or talk less with him. Ever since he made his debut, we have been moving in the same direction. That is how it should be, and it should not change for any reason. He needs the confidence of the team, knowing that everyone is moving together. Our job is to support him and take the team forward," he added.
Looking ahead to the next cycle, Rohit confirmed his ultimate motivation remains to stay fit, perform consistently, and manifest a spot to chase another global title at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 in Africa.
"It'll be great to win the upcoming ODI World Cup, that's all I'll say. I wouldn't think about full circle and all that now. Winning a World Cup for India is a special feeling. I have experienced that twice in the T20 format. In 2007, I was just a 20-year-old kid. Of course, it's a big tournament. You've won a World Cup in your first year, and it's great. Then we won the Champions Trophy in 2013, and after that there was a long period, almost 11 years, during which we couldn't win an ICC title. That's why, when we won the T20 World Cup in 2024, there was a realisation of how important it was.
"So that feeling is still inside me to a great extent. I know what winning a World Cup feels like. That's why I want that feeling back. The fun we had, you can't describe it because nothing can match it. That's why winning that World Cup is very important to me, because I want to experience that feeling again, which we felt recently," Rohit remarked.
The inconsequential third and final ODI of the series will be played in New Chandigarh on October 3.
