Making Gill ODI Captain Is Right Move At The Right Time: Finch

Making Gill ODI captain is right move at the right time: Finch (Image Source: IANS)

Making Gill ODI: Former Australia captain Aaron Finch has backed Shubman Gill’s appointment as India’s ODI skipper ahead of the three-match series between the two teams, calling it the right move made at the right time, keeping in mind the 2027 World Cup.

Gill has succeeded Rohit Sharma to become India’s new ODI skipper and will lead the side in the upcoming three-match series in Australia, starting in Perth on Sunday. The move to give ODI captaincy to Gill, the full-time Test captain who’s led the team before in T20Is, has been viewed by Finch as a forward-looking step which aligns with India’s planning for the 207 ODI World Cup.

Finch himself knows a thing or two about giving time to a new captain for an ODI World Cup – in 2022, he retired from the format following a lean run and handed over the reins to Pat Cummins, who captained them to the mega event in 2023 in India.

“I think it's a great move to get Shubman in at this time. Whenever you're probably this far out from a 50 over World Cup, I think it's important that you're well and truly into the planning stages, focusing on that 2027 World Cup. So, from my point of view, I think it's absolutely the right move.

“He's a wonderful player, and we know that it’s the same in all formats of the game. So, from that point of view, he's in a great space as a player to take over the leadership of a couple of formats of the game. So, the planning and preparation stage is so important.

“You need to be going into the last six or nine months of the cycle, knowing exactly what your plans are for that World Cup going forward. So, from that point of view, it's the right time for Shubman. He's shown that he's a wonderful leader in T20s, ODIs, and in Test matches, he's getting results as well. So, it's the right time and it's a good move,” Finch told IANS during a virtual media day on Saturday.

Gill's elevation to ODI captaincy comes at a time when many believe there is a risk of him having a burnout given his workload. Following the ODI series, Gill will be in the five-match T20I series against Australia as deputy to Suryakumar Yadav before coming back to India to feature in the all-format series against South Africa, starting on November 14.

Though Gill said ahead of the second India-West Indies Test in New Delhi that he’s willing to go through this workload challenge in a bid to succeed in his aim of playing and thriving in all formats for India and winning ICC titles, Finch believes Gill’s workload across formats won’t be much of a concern.

"Well, I don't think that it'll make too much of a difference to Shubman, the fact that it's criss crossing three different formats and he's come in and been a wonderful performer in all three performances, and the Test hundreds in England was brilliant. Then a clinical display in the series against the West Indies. His ODI record speaks for itself. It's a ridiculous record, to be honest.

“It's hard to fathom a young guy coming in and being as dominant in the world game as he has. So from that point of view, I think that he's got a great ability to just watch the ball, understand the game, and play what's in front of him. I guess the harder thing in when you become captain of a couple of formats is a lot of your time gets taken away from your own game, whether it be commercial or media commitments as captain, dealing with players within the squad where you almost have to prioritise their preparation into games as opposed to your own because there's a make-up of a squad that you're now leading.

“So as a player, you can just really focus in on what you need to do in each and every game. But as leader, you have to understand the importance of the whole squad and your role within that, and he seems to have done that wonderfully well. So I don't see that being any kind of issue for Shubman,” he elaborated.

Asked on how the Gautam Gambhir-led coaching staff can help Gill manage a hectic schedule, Finch stated, “Now the management decides to challenge the workload on him, that'll just come down to how he's feeling, no doubt. He's somebody who is as fit as anybody in the game mentally. He's so sharp at the moment. So from there, I don't think that it'll be a huge change to what he's already doing. He's used to playing a lot of cricket.”

“He looks like somebody without knowing him personally overly well, who enjoys what comes with the game, whether it's the ups and downs. You understand that may happen for every player and team if results don't go your way. But he's always got a smile on his face. He understands that you have to ride the wave at times.

Asked on how the Gautam Gambhir-led coaching staff can help Gill manage a hectic schedule, Finch stated, “Now the management decides to challenge the workload on him, that'll just come down to how he's feeling, no doubt. He's somebody who is as fit as anybody in the game mentally. He's so sharp at the moment. So from there, I don't think that it'll be a huge change to what he's already doing. He's used to playing a lot of cricket.”

Catch all the action from India’s tour of Australia 2025, starting with the first ODI on October 19, 9 AM IST onwards, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network.

Article Source: IANS