Shubman Gill Gives Positive News About Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli’s Participation in 2027 World Cup Amid Retirement Talks

Shubman Gill emphasized the invaluable experience of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, which will be handy in the run-up to the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Shubman Gill Gives Positive News About Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli’s Participation in 2027 World Cup Amid Retirement Talks

Shubman Gill addressed Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's future with the Indian ODI team. (via NDTV Sports)

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Newly-appointed Indian ODI captain Shubman Gill cleared the air on the team’s plans for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, suggesting that they are in contention for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Gill addressed the respective futures of the two Indian cricket stalwarts, amid retirement buzz. 

Indian cricket transitioned into a new era, with Rohit Sharma being removed from the ODI captaincy role. The 38-year-old was replaced by Shubman Gill as the new ODI captain, while Shreyas Iyer was appointed vice-captain. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar reasoned that Gill was fast-tracked to the role, just a few months after being appointed as red-ball skipper, to overcome the challenges of having three different captains.

Rohit Sharma’s sacking as the captain also raised concerns over his and Virat Kohli’s continued association with the Indian ODI side, with the duo having already retired from Tests and T20Is. While they have been picked in the squad for the three ODIs against Australia, Sharma and Kohli will face a race against time to be fit enough to feature in the 2027 World Cup. Winning that WC remains an unfulfilled dream for Sharma, who led the team to the final of the 2023 edition, only to disappointingly lose to Australia.

The Men in Blue, under head coach Gautam Gambhir, is seemingly preparing for life without the two greats. Amid speculation over their future, Gill provided fans with some encouraging news. The 26-year-old reassured supporters by noting that Sharma and Kohli remain firmly in the mix for the 2027 World Cup, and that they would definitely be a part of the side for the much-anticipated ICC tournament.

Gill highlighted the invaluable experience and skill that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli possess, and shared how the duo has helped the Indian team win matches for the past decade. He further opened up about the leadership traits he inherited from Rohit Sharma, pointing to the calmness and sense of friendship that Sharma built into his own personality to guide the team over the past few years. He told the reporters:

Absolutely. There are very few players who can match the number of matches they have won for India. We are definitely looking at them [for the 2027 World Cup].

All three players will be in action together when the Men in Blue take on Australia in a much-awaited ODI and T20I series, starting October 16. Shubman Gill and Co. will play the series opener in Perth, while the remaining two ODI games have been scheduled to be played in Adelaide and Sydney.

Shubman Gill Praises World No. 1 Ravindra Jadeja’s Presence, Says Indian Team ‘Lucky’ to Have Him

Indian red-ball skipper Shubman Gill heaped praise on veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, and stated that the team is lucky to have him in the side. Gill’s comments come ahead of the Men in Blues’ second Test against the West Indies, which starts tomorrow in Delhi. 

Shubman Gill on Ravindra Jadeja
Shubman Gill expressed that the Indian Test team is ‘lucky’ to have Ravindra Jadeja. (via Hindustan Times)

Ravindra Jadeja has been in fine form with the bat over the past months, having scored 620 runs in his last six matches at an average of 103.33, including two hundreds and five fifties. During the time, Jadeja has also picked 11 wickets, maintaining his position on top of the ICC Test All-Rounder Rankings. He in fact, holds the record for the longest consecutive streak as the world no.1 Test all-rounder.

The 36-year-old’s presence in the team was lauded by Shubman Gill, who talked about Jadeja’s brilliance on the field. Gill was effusive in his praise of Jadeja’s quality while batting at number six, as well as his hitting prowess on tough spinning tracks. He also praised the CSK all-rounder’s exceptional fielding abilities, specifically mentioning his accurate throws, sharp catches, and overall intensity.

We have seen how good the quality of his [Ravindra Jadeja] batting is on the spinning tracks. I think this is the reason why he is the number one all-rounder in the world. So I think we are lucky to have him in our team.

Jadeja had won the Player of the Match award in the opening Test against the West Indies in Ahmedabad. His performance included scoring a century in the first innings, coupled with a crucial four-wicket haul in the second innings.

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