Former South African captain AB de Villiers believes Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s presence can be intimidating for young skipper Shubman Gill. However, De Villiers advised Gill to utilize the two legends to his advantage by involving them in the decision-making.
Rohit and Kohli are two of India’s most accomplished ODI batters and captains, having led the side in 56 and 95 ODI games, respectively. Gill replaced the former ahead of the Australian series last year, having taken over similarly in the Test format a few months back.
Talking about the importance of Gill’s dynamic with Kohli and Rohit moving forward, De Villiers said on his YouTube channel (18:08):
“Obviously, captaining with Rohit and Virat there makes it a bit easier. It can be intimidating with these two greats around you. But if you find a way to build that relationship, it’ll be the key for Shubman Gill moving forward to the ODI World Cup in 2027. Just build the relationship with Rohit and Virat. Make them feel part of the decision-making without letting go of your captaincy armband.”
He continued:
“You still have to go out there, man up, and make the decision. But make those two feel like they are part of your thinking tank. That’ll be the most important thing, and the rest of the team will follow. It’s definitely a big asset for Gill to have, and we’ll see how he keeps growing with his leadership qualities coming through in the New Zealand series.”
Gill’s ODI captaincy stint started poorly as India lost 1-2 to Australia in his first assignment late last year.
“So much talent in Indian cricket that they can afford to play around with different squads” – AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers expressed his awe at the talent level in Indian cricket, which enables them to pick different squads for the ODI and T20I formats. Team India will play New Zealand in three ODIs and five T20Is before the all-important home T20 World Cup.
“It’s an important one for India to get that balance right. It’s a completely different balance compared to their T20 team, which is a great thing to have. There is so much talent in Indian cricket that they can afford to play around with different squads and pick the best players for the various squads,” said De Villiers (via the aforementioned source).
He concluded:
“Rest Bumrah when you want to rest him and bring him in when you want to bring him. Then there is Rishabh Pant, Jitesh Sharma, there is a KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, and you see all these names, they are very well-known names. When you sit on the couch and watch the IPL, all these players win matches. What a great place to be in for the Indian selectors.”
The ODI series between India and New Zealand starts in Vidarbha on Sunday, January 11.
Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran