India head coach Gautam Gambhir has openly expressed his preference for having a single captain across all three international formats, emphasising that it’s much easier to work with one leader. However, he also acknowledged the practical challenges of this ideal in today’s packed cricket calendar, where players juggle international commitments alongside demanding T20 leagues like the IPL.

India last had an all-format captain in 2024 with Rohit Sharma, though even then, Rohit wasn’t fully active as T20I captain in 2023, focusing mainly on the ODI World Cup. Currently, Rohit leads the ODI side, Suryakumar Yadav captains the T20I team, and the Test captaincy remains undecided.

Gautam Gambhir explained, “Ideally, as a coach, it’s easier to work with one guy, one captain for all three formats. But in today’s day and age, you can’t expect a captain to lead for 12 months straight. With international cricket almost year-round and the IPL adding two more months, it’s a huge mental and physical toll.”

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He further noted that sharing captaincy duties helps distribute the pressure, allowing players to perform more freely when they’re not leading. Before Rohit, Virat Kohli was India’s all-format captain and also led Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL. Kohli’s tenure was marked by a unified vision across formats and close communication between teams.

After Kohli stepped down from T20I captaincy, the BCCI handed Rohit both ODI and T20I leadership roles, aiming to maintain continuity. Kohli later resigned as Test captain, leaving Rohit in charge of all formats for a time.

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If Shubman Gill is officially appointed Test captain—as reports suggest—India will, for the first time, have three different captains for Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, marking a significant shift in leadership structure amid the evolving demands of modern cricket.