Shubman Gill has officially taken over as India’s one-day international (ODI) captain, replacing Rohit Sharma in what the BCCI describes as a strategic generational transition. The announcement came on Saturday, October 4, setting the stage for Gill, 25, to lead India with two years remaining before the next ODI World Cup. Already a key figure in India’s Test setup, Gill also serves as the deputy to Suryakumar Yadav in T20Is, making him a pivotal leader across formats.
While head coach Gautam Gambhir has nurtured his rise, it was Rahul Dravid who first identified Gill’s leadership potential years ago. Former India pacer RP Singh, now part of the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel, revealed that Dravid had foreseen Gill becoming an all-format captain as early as 2020-21.
Speaking to Sony Sports, RP Singh recalled, “Before he took over as head coach, we were talking about who could become the next permanent captain. While many names came up—Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya—Dravid said, ‘Shubman Gill.’ He believed that one day Gill would become unstoppable and serve India as captain for a long time.”
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Gill first gained attention in age-group cricket, finishing as India’s leading run-scorer with 372 runs in five innings during the 2018 U19 World Cup, coached by Dravid and captained by Prithvi Shaw. He made his ODI debut in 2019 and his Test debut during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, establishing himself in the longest format before earning a T20I call-up in 2023.
RP Singh shares how Rahul Dravid had seen a captain in Shubman long before the world did 🙌 #SonySportsNetwork #GroundTumharaJeetHamari #ENGvIND #NayaIndia #DhaakadIndia #TeamIndia #ExtraaaInnings pic.twitter.com/bH2DdPbJ9E
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) July 4, 2025
The Gambhir-led management has shown faith in Gill’s captaincy. Following the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Tests midway through the IPL 2025 season, Gill was appointed Test captain. He led India to a 2-2 draw in England, scoring over 700 runs in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, demonstrating his ability to lead from the front.
Ajit Agarkar, announcing India’s ODI squad for the upcoming three-match series in Australia starting October 19, said, “Gill has been vice-captain in ODIs for a while. His performances in England were positive signs, but this succession plan was always in place.”
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Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will remain in the squad as specialist batters, while Gill takes the reins for the first time in ODIs, beginning against Australia in Perth on October 19. Gill will also captain India in the second Test of the two-match series in Delhi, starting October 10, further solidifying his leadership role across formats and setting the tone for India’s future in international cricket.
