India’s new One-Day International captain, Shubman Gill, said his bond with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli is as strong as ever despite narratives to the contrary floating on social media in recent weeks, and insisted that he will not hesitate to approach the two stalwarts if he is in a fix during a match.
Gill replaced a highly successful Rohit as India’s new ODI skipper. The future of the two legends, Rohit and Kohli, has become a matter of intense speculation since then. Gill’s first assignment is a three-match series against Australia, starting in Perth on Sunday.
Standing on the banks of the Swan River—quite an unusual setting for a pre-match media conference—Gill sought to dispel the doubts.
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“A narrative is run on the outside, but nothing has changed in my relationship with Rohit. He is very helpful whenever I feel I need to ask him anything; it may be an input on the nature of the track,” Gill told the media on the eve of the series-opener.
“I go and ask, ‘What do you think? If you were leading, what would you do?’ I have a great equation with Virat bhai and Rohit bhai, and they never hesitate in giving suggestions,” Gill said.
The 25-year-old skipper understands that these are “big shoes to fill” and he would need a lot of support from the two former skippers.
“I have had numerous conversations with Virat bhai and Rohit bhai on how to take the team forward. [With] what kind of culture they wanted to take the team forward, and those learnings and experience will help us.
“These are big shoes for me to fill in because of the legacy created by Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni), Virat bhai and Rohit bhai, so many experiences and learnings. The kind of experience and skill-set that they bring to the team is massive.”
When he was growing up, ODI cricket still ruled the hearts and minds of Indian fans. Thus, it was but natural that Gill grew up on a staple diet of hundreds scored by Kohli and Rohit.
So, how would it be to lead them? “Obviously, when I was a kid, I used to idolise them for the game they played and hunger they had, which inspired me. It is a big honour for me to lead such legends of the game.
“When I am in a difficult situation, I won’t shy away from getting any suggestions from them,” Gill said.
When questioned about what specific traits he would like to pick from Rohit and Virat, Gill harped on “messaging and communication”.
“There are some things I observed and really liked as a player when I played under them. How they converse and their method of messaging helped me get the best out of me when I played under them.
“That’s the kind of captain I would want to be, where all my players feel secure, and the job they have to do and communications would be clear.”
Experience, they say, can’t be bought from a supermarket, and that is where exactly the duo stands out.
“They have served Indian cricket for close to 20 years and I have learnt a lot when I played under them, the experience that they bring can’t be replicated, the runs that they have scored all over the world.”
As a player, Gill believes he thrives when he is handed more responsibility. “I like it when I am entrusted with extra responsibility. I thrive under pressure, and my best game comes out. But when I bat, I think as a batter, and then I make the best decisions. As a batter, I try not to think like a skipper, as then you take more pressure on yourself and you might end up losing freedom of playing your shots and lose the ‘X factor,” he explained.
Published on Oct 18, 2025
