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Key Points

India's chief selector Ajit Agarkar has explained the reasoning behind Shubman Gill's appointment as ODI captain. He stated that having three different captains across formats was practically impossible for proper planning. Gill will now lead both the Test and ODI teams while serving as vice-captain in T20Is. The selectors are confident in Gill's leadership abilities despite concerns about potential burnout from his increased responsibilities.

Key Points: Agarkar Says Three Captains Impossible as Gill Replaces Rohit

  • Gill takes over ODI leadership while Rohit Sharma remains in the squad
  • India previously had different captains for Tests, ODIs and T20Is
  • Selectors cite planning challenges for ODI World Cup preparation
  • Agarkar confident Gill can handle pressure despite workload concerns
  • Gill becomes vice-captain across all three formats for Australia series
  • Team management aims to manage player workload to prevent burnout
3 min read

Impossible to have three captains for three formats: Agarkar on Gill's ODI captain appointment

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar explains why Shubman Gill succeeds Rohit Sharma as ODI captain, citing impracticality of three different captains across formats.

Impossible to have three captains for three formats: Agarkar on Gill's ODI captain appointment
"It's practically impossible to have three different captains for three formats in terms of planning - Ajit Agarkar"

Ahmedabad, Oct 4

India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar opined that it was ‘practically impossible’ to have three different captains across formats, which was the reason behind Shubman Gill succeeding Rohit Sharma as the ODI captain.

The Agarkar-led selection panel named India’s squads for the upcoming T20I and ODI series against Australia and handed over the ODI captaincy to Gill while also naming Rohit and Virat Kohli in the squad.

Before the squad announcement, the Men in Blue had three different captains for each format, with Rohit heading the ODI side, Gill leading the Test team and Suryakumar Yadav in charge of the T20I setup.

However, Gill will now lead the team in both ODIs and Tests after being named Rohit’s successor. Asked about the 26-year-old’s white-ball captaincy, Agarkar, addressing the media at the press conference, said:

“It’s practically impossible to have three different captains for three formats in terms of planning. You’ve got to start planning. You also play it the least. We are two years away. We don’t play as many games. It is a bit of a challenge with one-day cricket. The focus has been on the T20 World Cup. We will surely start planning for the ODI World Cup. Gives the next guy enough time.”

With Gill now looking after two formats and also being named Suryakumar’s deputy in T20Is, the Punjab-born is likely to feature in all the games across formats going forward. Speaking further on the possibility of Gill burning out, Agarkar added:

“Hopefully not. Still quite young. We saw what he did in England under immense pressure. Really positive signs there. We hope there’s no burnout. As team management, we try to manage it as best as possible. You’ve also got to give the guy enough time.

"He’s been the vice-captain in the ODI format for a while now. That’s how it works. What he’s shown in England was really positive signs, and we’re hopeful."

India’s tour of Australia will begin on October 19 with the three ODIs. the five-game T20I series will begin on October 29 and conclude on November 8.

India’s ODI squad: 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), and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

India’s T20I squad: 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, and Washington Sundar.

-- IANS

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
I'm worried about Gill's workload though. Leading two formats and playing all three? Hope BCCI has a proper rotation policy to prevent burnout. He's our future star!
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Sarah B
Smart move by Agarkar. Consistency in leadership is crucial for team building. Gill's performance in England under pressure shows he can handle big responsibilities.
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Arjun K
What about Hardik Pandya? He was being groomed as future captain too. This seems like a sudden shift in strategy. Hope the selectors know what they're doing.
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Kavya N
Gill as captain across formats makes perfect sense for long-term planning. We need stability before the next ODI World Cup. Good decision by selectors! 👍
M
Michael C
Interesting to see both Rohit and Virat still in the squad under Gill's captaincy. Hope the transition is smooth and everyone works together for Team India's success.

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