India’s new captain sends big message to legends

India’s newly appointed ODI captain, Shubman Gill, has called on senior batsmen Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to “do their magic” and contribute their experience in the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia.

India’s unbeaten campaign in the Champions Trophy concluded with a fairytale finish as Rohit Sharma was named Player of the Match for his 76-run innings off 83 balls. That match marked the last appearance of both Rohit and Virat in the Champions Trophy. Initially expected to return to the Test format, the duo decided to step away from Tests more than a month before India’s England tour.

Having retired from T20Is last year, Rohit and Virat have become one-format specialists. Their return to ODI cricket will see them back in action after lifting the Champions Trophy title against Australia in Perth. Rohit will participate solely as a batsman, following a decision by the selection panel, which was personally communicated to him by chief selector Ajit Agarkar.

Speaking on Amul Cricket Live following India’s seven-wicket win against the West Indies in the second Test, Gill highlighted the value of the veterans’ experience. “They've been playing for India for the past 10–15 years and winning matches for us. The experience that they bring to the table is something every captain or every team wants. And that's what we are looking forward to. We just want them to go out there and do their magic,” Gill said.

The upcoming ODIs will also mark the first encounter between India and Australia in the format since the 2023 ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad, where Australia denied India the title. Gill noted that despite the absence of Australian captain Pat Cummins and other key players, India will maintain its established style of ODI cricket. “We've been playing some of the best ODI cricket in the past two or three years, and nothing changes for us. It's more or less the same team that we're playing. So, very excited to go out there and play in Australia,” he added.

India’s ODI squad for the Australian tour includes: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

The series is scheduled to begin shortly, with India relying on the experience of its senior batsmen alongside a largely consistent team lineup built over the past three years.