"He's the Right Man to Lead Indian Cricket Forward" – Aaron Finch Backs Shubman Gill as India’s New ODI Captain

Former T20 World Cup-winning Australia captain Aaron Finch believes Shubman Gill will remain calm in his first ODI captaincy role for India, especially since he will have experienced players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli around him, unlike during the England tour.

Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar surprised the cricket world by revealing that he personally informed Rohit about the management’s decision to relieve him of the captaincy. The leadership was handed to Gill two years before the 2027 World Cup so he could settle into the role ahead of the big event.

The 26-year-old has now officially taken charge in two formats. He was given the Test captaincy after Rohit retired from the format in May. In his first assignment, Gill led India in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England. India drew the series 2-2, even though Gill had few senior players to guide him.

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Aaron Finch Praises Shubman Gill’s Leadership Skills

"Shubman Gill is a brilliant player. He has shown his leadership skills. The way he led in the Test series in England proved what a good leader he is. He’s the right man to lead Indian cricket forward," Finch said (ICC).

"Shubman has already shown what a good leader he is in T20 cricket and Test cricket, so I’m sure this will be no different. He’s a brilliant player, especially in white-ball formats. The way he captained against England in the Test series is a big tick in his box to take the next step and lead India across all three formats," Finch added during an ICC Digital interview from Colombo during the ongoing Women’s World Cup.

Finch also highlighted the advantage of having experienced players around. “In the England Test series, Gill didn’t have many senior players to turn to for advice on the ground, but he did a wonderful job himself. Having Rohit and Kohli around will give him calmness. It allows him to share ideas, both on and off the field, about how he wants the team to function, because they have been a huge part of the team for a long time,” Finch said.

He concluded, “Shubman has already shown his leadership in T20 and Test cricket. With support from senior players, he can take Indian cricket forward in all formats.”

Shubman Gill Aims for World Cup Glory as India’s New ODI Captain

After being named ODI captain, Shubman Gill is focused on the World Cup. India is expected to play around 20 ODIs before the tournament, and Gill wants to lift the trophy in South Africa.

"It is the biggest honour to lead your country in ODIs and to captain a team that has done well. I am very proud. I hope to do great. We have about 20 ODIs before the World Cup, and the ultimate goal is the World Cup in South Africa," Gill said in a video posted by the BCCI.

India ODI Squad for Australia:

Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal.