Is Gill the New ODI Captain with Rohit and Kohli Returning for the Australia Tour?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Shubman Gill takes over as ODI captain.
- Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli return to the ODI squad.
- India's tour starts on October 19 in Australia.
- Injuries impact team selection, with Pant and Pandya missing out.
- Gill's recent success as Test captain boosts confidence.
Ahmedabad, Oct 4 (NationPress) Shubman Gill has been appointed as the new captain of India’s ODI team, taking over from Rohit Sharma for the upcoming three-match series in Australia that kicks off on October 19.
Rohit Sharma is included in the squad as a batter, marking his and Virat Kohli's return to the ODI arena following India’s victorious campaign in the 2025 Champions Trophy. This leadership change is a pivotal moment, as Gill, who was named India’s Test captain earlier this year, now takes on the responsibility of leading the ODI team while also serving as the vice-captain in T20Is.
His appointment comes on the heels of his impressive debut as Test captain on Indian soil, where the team defeated the West Indies by an innings and 140 runs. Shreyas Iyer will serve as the vice-captain for ODIs, while Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant have been excluded due to ongoing recovery from injuries to their quad and fractured right foot, respectively.
In their absence, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Dhruv Jurel have been included in the ODI squad, while Yashasvi Jaiswal has been selected, leaving no place for Ravindra Jadeja. Jasprit Bumrah has been given a rest. The bowling lineup features Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, and Prasidh Krishna.
Bumrah is set to participate in the five-match T20I series, alongside the rest of the squad that triumphed in the Asia Cup held in the UAE. Sundar, who was a standby for the Asia Cup, is now part of the main T20I team selected by the committee that convened in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
Despite having not played any competitive cricket since the IPL 2025, both Rohit and Kohli have been diligently preparing for an intense series of ODI matches scheduled in the coming months, as India is set to host South Africa and New Zealand for three 50-over matches each in November-December and January 2026, respectively.
Rohit has even visited the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru to work on his batting and fitness, while Kohli has been training in London.
The ODI series against Australia commences on October 19 at Perth Stadium, followed by matches at Adelaide Oval and Sydney Cricket Ground on October 23 and 25, respectively.
This will be followed by a five-match T20I series starting on October 29 at Manuka Oval in Canberra, with subsequent matches scheduled at Melbourne Cricket Ground on October 31, Bellerive Oval in Hobart on November 2, Gold Coast Stadium on November 6, and The Gabba in Brisbane on November 8.
During India’s last tour of Australia for a bilateral ODI series, they faced a 2-1 defeat in 2020/21, but they redeemed themselves by winning the subsequent T20I series by the same margin.
India’s ODI squad includes: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (WK), and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
India’s T20I squad comprises: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (VC), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, and Washington Sundar.