Ahmedabad, Oct 4 (NationPress) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the ODI and T20I squads for the upcoming white-ball tour of Australia, commencing on October 19. A significant highlight was Shubman Gill being appointed as India’s captain for the ODI format.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed that Gill has taken over from Rohit Sharma as the ODI captain and elaborated on the reasoning behind this decision.

With former captains Rohit and Virat Kohli included in the squad for the Australia series, Gill will lead in ODIs alongside his responsibilities for red-ball cricket.

During Agarkar’s press conference, which followed the announcement of the 15-man ODI squad and the 16-member T20I squad, he stated: “Having three different captains for three formats poses a considerable challenge in terms of planning. You need to start strategizing well in advance. With the focus on the T20 World Cup, we will certainly begin our preparations for the ODI World Cup.”

On whether Rohit was consulted about the change in captaincy, Agarkar remarked, “This is a conversation between Rohit and me. He has been informed.”

Regarding concerns about Shubman Gill potentially experiencing burnout, Agarkar commented: “We hope that won’t be the case. He’s still quite young, and we saw his impressive performance in England. We aim to manage his workload effectively.”

When asked if Rohit and Gill would continue as opening batsmen in ODIs, Agarkar confirmed, stating: “Currently, Rohit and Gill are expected to open. We must not overlook how talented Jaiswal is. It's not a Test series where you can afford to have a few extras.”

On Bumrah's absence from the Australia ODIs and his inclusion in the T20I squad, Agarkar clarified the pacer’s workload management, saying: “We’ve rested him for the ODIs. We have a plan in place to manage his workload, given his importance to the team.”

Discussing Rohit and Kohli’s fitness after a lengthy break, Agarkar noted: “Both have passed their fitness tests and met the required standards.”

When asked about Rohit and Kohli potentially only playing one format moving forward, Agarkar expressed: “These seasoned players are accustomed to multiple formats, and it would be unusual for them to play just one. That's a question for them.”

On Hardik Pandya’s injury status for the Australia series, Agarkar stated: “He’s currently unfit due to an injury sustained before the Asia Cup finals. We will have a clearer timeline once his rehabilitation starts.”

When questioned about the difficulty of Rohit’s removal as ODI captain, Agarkar remarked: “Even if India hadn’t won the Champions Trophy, this decision would still be tough. However, we must prioritize what’s best for the team.”

On the potential participation of Rohit and Virat in domestic competitions, Agarkar added: “Regardless of their playing status, they should engage in domestic cricket whenever feasible.”

India’s tour of Australia kicks off on October 19 with three ODIs, followed by a five-match T20I series starting on October 29.

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 features: 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.