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Mumbai, 5 September 2025:
India chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar said the decision to name Shubman Gill as the country’s new one-day international captain was made with the 2027 ICC World Cup firmly in mind, marking the start of what he called “a new era” for Indian cricket.
Gill, 26, who was appointed Test captain earlier this year, will now lead the ODI side beginning with the upcoming series in Australia. Agarkar said the move reflects India’s need for continuity in leadership across formats while acknowledging the challenge of long-term planning amid a sparse ODI calendar.
“Obviously, at some stage you’ve got to start looking at where the next World Cup is,” Agarkar said Saturday while announcing the limited-overs squads for the Australia tour. “It’s a format that’s played the least now, so you don’t get too many games to prepare a new captain. We’re two years away, but we don’t know how many ODIs we’ll get before then.”
India’s last ODI outing was during the Champions Trophy final in March, and their next will come in the Australia series starting Oct. 19. Agarkar said the sporadic nature of 50-over cricket has complicated planning for both selectors and the coaching staff.
“It’s difficult to have three different captains for three formats,” he said. “For the coach, especially, it’s not easy to plan with three different leaders. This decision gives Shubman enough time to grow into the role before 2027.”
Gill’s immediate schedule leaves little room for rest. He is currently captaining India in a home Test series against West Indies, which ends Oct. 14. The three-match ODI series against Australia follows from Oct. 19-25, with a five-match T20I series running from Oct. 29-Nov. 8, where Gill will serve as vice captain. India then host South Africa from Nov. 14 to Dec. 19 for a multi-format series.
Asked whether the workload might cause burnout, Agarkar said the management will monitor it closely.
“Hopefully not. He’s still quite young,” Agarkar said. “There’s a lot of cricket coming thick and fast, especially for him, but we’ll manage it as best as we can. We just want to give him enough time to prepare for that next World Cup.”
Jadeja’s omission a matter of balance, says Agarkar
Agarkar also addressed the omission of Ravindra Jadeja from the ODI squad, insisting it was a tactical decision based on team balance rather than form.
“At the moment, taking two left-arm spinners to Australia isn’t possible,” he said. “Jaddu is very much in the scheme of things. He’s a terrific player, but we had to consider conditions and team balance with Washington [Sundar] and Kuldeep [Yadav] already there.”
The selectors, Agarkar added, wanted to ensure depth in both spin and pace departments while managing workloads across formats.
Bumrah rested for ODIs to manage workload
Pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been rested from the ODI leg but will feature in the T20Is against Australia. Agarkar said the selectors are being cautious with Bumrah’s schedule after his recent run of back-to-back assignments.
“We’ve already rested him for the one-day games,” Agarkar said. “There’s always a plan — wherever we can give him a break, we will. We all know how important he is, but we also have to look at what’s best for the team. It’s the same with Siraj and the other senior bowlers who carry a heavy workload in Test cricket.”
Agarkar emphasized that workload management remains a key focus heading into a busy international season.
“We’ll try to look after all the seniors so that we minimize the risk of injuries,” he said. “At the same time, we want the core group ready and fresh when it matters most — at the 2027 World Cup.”
