New Captain Shubman Gill Gives Update On Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma’s Future In ODIs

India’s new ODI captain, Shubman Gill, has made it clear that senior pros Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma remain very much in India’s plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup, hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

Both veterans have been away from competitive cricket since IPL 2025, with their last international appearances coming in the Champions Trophy (February-March). By the time the next World Cup arrives, Kohli will be 39 and Rohit 40.

The duo have been included in India’s upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia, starting October 19. However, a major change has already been made - Gill has replaced Rohit as ODI captain, signalling that the management may be planning a transition. Gill, though, insisted that both players are not going anywhere, at least for now.

“The experience they have and the number of matches they have won for India, there are very few players who have [done] that. There are very few players in the world with such skill, quality and experience. From that perspective, we are definitely looking at them for 2027,” Gill said ahead of the second Test against West Indies in New Delhi, as reported by the Indian Express.

Despite their age, both Kohli and Rohit have maintained excellent ODI records. Since 2023, Rohit has scored 1,714 runs in 37 innings at an average of 48.97 with a strike rate of 117.2, while Kohli has accumulated 1,710 runs in 34 innings, averaging 61.07 with a strike rate of 95.8.

Many in the cricket fraternity feel Rohit’s place in the 2027 World Cup squad may no longer be guaranteed. Despite being the captain, he was dropped from India’s Test playing XI during the Australia tour earlier this year and has since retired from red-ball cricket, with Gill taking over the Test captaincy.

“There are so many qualities that I have inherited from Rohit bhai, and still want to. The calmness that he poses and shows to us, and the kind of friendships that he has built with the players in the group, is something that I aspire to. These are the qualities that I want to take from him,” Gill said.

Speaking about when he learned he would become the new ODI skipper, Gill added: “Yes, it was announced in the middle of a Test match but I got to know a little before that. It obviously is a big responsibility and an even bigger honour. So, very excited to lead my country in that format.

“The last few months have been very exciting for me. But I'm really looking forward to what the future has. I want to stay as present as possible and don’t really want to look back on what I've been able to achieve or what we as a team have been able to achieve. Just want to look forward and win everything that we have in the upcoming months.”

After the second Test against West Indies, the Men in Blue are scheduled to play three ODIs and five T20Is in Australia, starting October 19. Gill will not only lead the ODI setup but will also serve as Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy in T20Is.