Former England spinner Monty Panesar backed the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) move to appoint Shubman Gill as Rohit Sharma's sucessor to lead India in the ODIs ahead of the white ball series against Australia. He reckons that the batter is a natural leader and it's a masterstroke by the Indian Cricket board.
Ajit Agarkar on ODI captaincy shift
India Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed that he had personally informed Rohit Sharma of the management's decision to relieve him of the ODI captaincy. Notaly, Rohit, who has already retired from T20Is and Tests, last donned India's jersey in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Monty Panesar for Shubman Gill captaincy
A sudden shift in captaincy surprised everyone with a split view. However, Panesar, who was part of England's Ashes-winning team, welcomed the decision and believes the added leadership responsibility will bring out the best in Gill, potentially leading to his finest ODI series yet.
"Well, I think it is a great decision because I think he has done really well. Making him captain while Rohit Sharma is there, he can help him and guide him during the series. It is a really good move. We have seen he is a natural leader that we have seen in England," Panesar told ANI.
"When you give him responsibility, you see the best of Shubman Gill. I think we will see the best of him in the ODI series. I wouldn't be surprised that they give him the T20I captaincy because I think he is a type of player who does well when you give him responsibility," the former England spinner concluded.
India's white ball schedule for Australia
Team India will play a three-match ODI series followed by a five-match T20I series against Australia, which is scheduled to start from October 19. Gill, who will lead India in the ODIs, will be Suryakumar Yadav's deputy in the five-match T20I series. Gill was rewarded with T20I vice-captaincy after his brilliant performance in England during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 in Asia Cup 2025.
IND vs AUS ODI schedule
| Match | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 1st ODI | October 19 | Perth Stadium |
| 2nd ODI | October 23 | Adelaide Oval |
| 3rd ODI | October 25 | Sydney Cricket Ground |
India's ODI squad against Australia
Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal.
India vs Australia T20I schedule
| Match | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | October 29 | Manuka Oval, Canberra |
| 2nd T20I | October 31 | Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| 3rd T20I | November 2 | Bellerive Oval, Hobart |
| 4th T20I | November 6 | Gold Coast Stadium |
| 5th T20I | November 8 | The Gabba, Brisbane |
India's T20I squad against Australia
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (VC), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar