India head coach Gautam Gambhir has backed Shubman Gill to turn around his ODI record, while highlighting the advantage the young captain has had of working alongside senior stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Gambhir described Gill as “very fortunate” to have experienced players like Kohli and Rohit around him, particularly when it comes to handling difficult decisions on and off the field.
With the 2027 ODI World Cup approaching, the partnership between Gambhir and Gill will be crucial to India’s preparations. “In ODIs, he (Gill) is very fortunate that he has got the likes of Rohit and Virat to help him on and off the field,” Gautam Gambhir said while speaking to JioStar ahead of India’s home season.
Gambhir also acknowledged the difficulty of leaving established players out of an Indian XI, especially for a relatively young captain. According to him, Gill has handled those challenging calls well so far and has successfully taken on the responsibilities that come with leadership.
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“Leaving out anyone in Indian cricket from the playing eleven is always going to be tough. But when you have to do that as a young captain, it is probably the toughest job for any coach and captain to do it. So far, he has done that. He has actually ticked all the boxes,” he added.
Gill has won six of the 12 ODIs he has captained India in, with the team suffering series defeats against England, Australia and New Zealand. Despite the results, Gambhir believes the batter has made the right decisions and can improve his fortunes in the format.
“I feel that he has done all the right things… he has had a bit of a tough time in One Day cricket. But I am sure things will turn around because he has done all the right things,” Gautam Gambhir said.
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India will now look to build momentum with a three-match ODI series against the West Indies at home, followed by a five-match away series against New Zealand. With the 2027 World Cup nearing, Gill’s leadership and batting form will remain key areas of focus.
