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Mohammed Kaif has supported Shubman Gill for ODI leadership because of Rohit Sharma’s uncertain future.
Shubman Gill is being touted as the next ODI captain (Picture credit: AFP)
Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif has said that since it is not known how long Rohit Sharma will continue as ODI captain, Shubman Gill will soon be handed ODI leadership too, especially after his exploits as Test captain in England, where he led India to a 2-2 series draw, on his first stint as Test skipper.
Gill’s appointment as Test skipper for the high-stakes England tour, ahead of more seasoned contenders, sparked widespread surprise. Even the support of head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar could not silence the scepticism.
But after his standout performance, Kaif has thrown his weight behind Gill to lead India in ODIs too, amidst growing uncertainty over Rohit’s international future.
“He will get the ODI captaincy as well because we don’t know how long Rohit Sharma will continue as captain. Gill is ready to take over. He scores in white-ball cricket. He has performed well as captain here in Tests and led from the front,” Kaif said while speaking on his YouTube channel.
“When you go with a young team, you have to do both things, score with the bat and do well as captain. A brilliant tour for him overall,” Kaif said.
“Shubman Gill, as captain, created opportunities with both hands in this series. When he became captain, there were many questions as to why he was made captain, looking at his Test record,” Kaif added.
ODIs are now the sole format in which Rohit continues to be active. He stepped away from T20Is in June 2024 after leading India to a T20 World Cup triumph in Barbados and followed it up with a surprise retirement from Tests in May, just weeks ahead of India’s team announcement for the England tour.
While speculation about Rohit’s ODI future continues to grow, the BCCI had clarified at the time of his Test retirement that he would continue as skipper in the 50-over format.
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