Speaking on JioHotstar after the conclusion of the first Test between India and West Indies, Harbhajan Singh shared his thoughts on Shubman Gill\u2019s appointment as ODI captain:<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cCongratulations to Shubman Gill. Obviously, he has been leading the team well in Test cricket, and now he\u2019s been given another responsibility: to lead the ODI side as well. Of course, Rohit has been replaced as captain by Shubman, and Rohit is someone who holds a very good record in white-ball cricket.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cTo be honest, it\u2019s a bit of a shock for me to see Rohit not being the captain. If you\u2019re selecting Rohit Sharma, select him as captain, because he just recently won you the ICC Champions Trophy. Rohit has been one of the pillars of Indian cricket when it comes to white-ball formats. I think he should have been given at least this tour. If the selectors are thinking about the 2027 ODI World Cup, it\u2019s still far away.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cShubman has a lot of time to grow into the role of ODI captain. I\u2019m happy for Shubman; he\u2019s got this opportunity, but it could have been delayed a little. He could have waited six to eight months or even a year before taking over. I\u2019m happy for Shubman, but at the same time, I\u2019m a bit disappointed for Rohit Sharma not being the captain.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Going forward, Rohit will be seen playing only one format, the ODIs, without any leadership roles assigned. Notably, the Nagpur-born retired from Tests and T20Is, with Gill and Suryakumar Yadav replacing him as captain in the two formats, respectively.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Speaking about Rohit\u2019s role in the team in the future, Harbhajan said: \u201cIf you look at Rohit\u2019s ODI record, he\u2019s averaging almost close to 50. That shows how consistent he\u2019s been and what he brings to the table as an opener. There\u2019s no doubt about his performances and his approach when it comes to playing for India. He\u2019s been a phenomenal player, and that will not change.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cHe will continue to bat the way he always has and continue to be a leader in the team, irrespective of whether he\u2019s captain or not. He\u2019ll keep giving advice to Shubman or anyone else whenever needed. As a batter, Rohit won\u2019t change his approach. He\u2019ll remain as fearless as ever, and so will Virat Kohli. These two top players will continue to drive Indian cricket forward, and we\u2019re all looking forward to seeing them win matches for Team India.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Another notable development that took place on Saturday was Shreyas Iyer\u2019s appointment as Gill\u2019s deputy in the 50-over format. Iyer, who the BCCI recently granted a six-month break from red-ball cricket, will now be seen taking on a leadership role as India take on Australia.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Speaking on Iyer\u2019s appointment as vice-captain, the former spinner said: \u201cI\u2019m very happy for Shreyas Iyer. He\u2019s one of those guys who hardly gets the credit he deserves. We talk about that World Cup in India, he scored back-to-back centuries, and with what pace! He\u2019s an impact player; when he gets going, he makes things easy for the dressing room and the other batters. I\u2019m very happy that he\u2019s back in the scheme of things, not just as a player but with a bigger responsibility as vice-captain. I\u2019m looking forward to seeing him back and to see what he brings to the table in terms of ideas and how he and Shubman Gill take this team forward.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Parthiv Patel also spoke on Shubman Gill being handed the ODI captaincy and said, \u201cClearly, India is looking at the 2027 ODI World Cup. Rohit and Virat are both still in the team, but this is a great sign for Indian cricket. Rohit has left behind a strong legacy. He\u2019s been an outstanding captain for India. He inspired a lot of young players with his calmness and brought great stability.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cNow, India is looking forward to a young captain. They did the same with Shubman Gill in Test cricket. I think his success in England as Test captain would have influenced this decision. There were question marks earlier over whether Shubman was the future captain, but he\u2019s now given that assurance to the selectors and team management. It\u2019s a great sign; exciting times for Indian cricket ahead,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The former wicketkeeper-batter further shed light on the thinking behind the decision to name Gill the new captain, saying: \u201cThere has to be a thought process behind this decision. Going forward, before 2027, there won\u2019t be many ODI matches, and you want your core squad to play together under one captain. You don\u2019t want to be searching for a new leader at the end of 2026. This is a progressive step. In 2007, when MS Dhoni became captain, he had seniors like Sachin Tendulkar, Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, and Gautam Gambhir with him. Then Virat Kohli had Dhoni\u2019s experience behind him. Similarly, Shubman will have Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to guide him through this phase. This is how you build a team, and that\u2019s why appointing Shubman Gill as the new ODI captain makes perfect sense.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cNow, India is looking forward to a young captain. They did the same with Shubman Gill in Test cricket. I think his success in England as Test captain would have influenced this decision. There were question marks earlier over whether Shubman was the future captain, but he\u2019s now given that assurance to the selectors and team management. It\u2019s a great sign; exciting times for Indian cricket ahead,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWithout a doubt, India has always been a very dominant force at home and rightly so. We\u2019ve won all the series we\u2019ve played since 2012, except the one against New Zealand. India had to show that they are a dominant side. They\u2019re the number-one side in world cricket at this point in time across formats, at least in terms of the way they\u2019re playing. Ranking-wise, they may not be number one, but whoever\u2019s coming to India knows what\u2019s coming. India had to show who\u2019s the boss, and that\u2019s exactly what they did today.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n