Mohammad Kaif Feels Shubman Gill is Ready to Take ODI Captaincy from Rohit Sharma

Shubman Gill, after silencing critics with his display in the India-England series, has now been nominated for ICC's Player of the Month award.

Mohammad Kaif Feels Shubman Gill is Ready to Take ODI Captaincy from Rohit Sharma

Mohammad Kaif suggested that Shubman Gill is ready to replace Rohit Sharma as India's ODI Captain. (via NDTV Sports)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Former Indian all-rounder Mohammad Kaif expressed his belief that Shubman Gill is ready to take over the ODI captaincy from Rohit Sharma. Kaif’s comments stem from Gill’s impressive leadership during India’s recent five-match Test series against England.

The Indian red-ball team surpassed expectations by finishing the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in a 2-2 draw. India lost the opening Test at Headingley, but made a stunning comeback with a massive 336-run victory at Edgbaston.

The Men in Blue then suffered another narrow defeat at Lord’s, and the fourth Test at Old Trafford also ending in a draw. India then pulled off a remarkable, last-gasp six-run victory at The Oval to level the series.

Many had doubted the abilities of newly appointed Test captain Shubman Gill. Appointed just days before the start of the England tour, Gill succeeded Rohit Sharma, who had announced his retirement. Critics had anticipated that the 25-year-old would fail in England, citing his lack of experience leading the Indian team, aside from a minor tour to Zimbabwe, and very limited leadership experience in domestic cricket.

Moreover, critics suggested that appointing such a young captain, who had only played 32 Test matches prior to the tour, was a reckless move and that the inexperienced Indian team would struggle in England. However, Gill effectively led the team to a 2-2 draw. He also impressed with the bat as India’s new number four, scoring a record-breaking 754 runs in ten innings at a brilliant average of 75.4.

Gill deservingly also won the Player of the Series award, while silencing doubters. In praise of the Indian captain, Mohammad Kaif surprisingly suggested that Gill is now ready to take over as India’s next ODI captain after Rohit Sharma’s tenure ends.

He praised Gill’s calmness and composure as a captain, also highlighting his ability to lead under pressure and manage his dual responsibilities as both a captain and a key batter, all while facing intense criticism.

He [Shubman Gill] was such a calm captain… He will get the ODI captaincy as well because we don’t know how long Rohit Sharma will continue as captain. Gill is ready to take over.

Mohammad Kaif also suggested that the Punjab-born batter, as a captain, created a lot of opportunities. He even noted that Gill answered back his detractors with the bat, shattering Sir Don Bradman’s record for the most centuries in his maiden Test series as captain. Kaif’s comments now raise questions about what lies ahead for Gill, whose leadership is being widely lauded across the world.

Shubman Gill, as captain, created opportunities with both hands in this series. When he became captain, there were many questions as to why he was made captain…

Meanwhile, it is expected that Rohit Sharma will remain India’s ODI captain until the 2027 World Cup, despite having retired from Tests as well as T20Is. Gill, who is currently the vice-captain of the Indian ODI side, does, however, face stiff competition from Shreyas Iyer for the captaincy role.

Will Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal Play in the Upcoming Asia Cup, Following Tiring England Tour?

It will be interesting to see whether Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal will return to the T20I setup for the upcoming 2025 Asia Cup. Both players are in contention for a spot in the Asia Cup squad despite having just returned from a tiring tour of England.

Shubman Gill Yashasvi Jaiswal Asia Cup
Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal could return to the T20I squad for the 2025 Asia Cup. (via NDTV Sports)

Shubman Gill could likely make his way into the squad, but could face stiff competition for an opening spot from Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Sai Sudharsan and Abhishek Sharma. Both Gill and Jaiswal have been absent from the T20I setup for a while due to their ODI and Test commitments. However, they both had an impressive 2025 IPL season, with Gill scoring 650 runs, while Jaiswal scored 559 runs.

In addition to Gill and Jaiswal, other Indian Test stars who could potentially make their way into the T20I squad include Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav. India’s 2025 Asia Cup campaign is scheduled to begin on September 10 against hosts UAE in Dubai.