Perth, October 17
Ahead of the first ODI in Perth on Sunday, India's ace all-rounder Axar Patel believes the upcoming three-match ODI series in Australia presents a brilliant opportunity for Shubman Gill to develop as captain, with former skippers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the Indian dressing room.
This will be Gill's first assignment as ODI skipper after replacing Rohit Sharma. India is touring Australia for three ODIs and five T20Is.
The series will commence with the 50-Over fixtures on Sunday, and the second and third ODIs will be played on October 23 and 25. The five T20Is will be played from October 29 to November 8.
The two Indian heavyweights will be seen in action for the first time in the Indian jersey since the ICC Champions Trophy Final earlier this year.
"I think both Rohit and Virat are there. We are seeing the transition happening. And it's good that the seniors are with the youngsters at this phase. The youngsters will know how to handle situations. The discussions in the dressing room are always about what to do and what not to do on the field. It's a perfect situation for Shubman Gill because he has both Rohit and Virat in the dressing room, who can also offer their input to him. And I think it's very good for his captaincy and for his growth," Axar Patel told the reporters.
Patel also praised Gill's calm demeanour as captain, noting he's handling the role without pressure. He highlighted the transition phase in Indian cricket with younger players emerging and emphasised the importance of sharing knowledge with them.
"If that happens--a perfect start in ODIs like England--that's a perfect start for Shubman Gill as captain. He is not being pressured after taking up the role as captain. That's a good quality. I played with other captains. Now, the younger players are coming. This is a transition period. We are sharing knowledge with the youngsters," he concluded.
For Gill, the leadership duties have come thick and fast since May. After Rohit called it a day in Test format with a brief message, the 26-year-old was tasked to lead India for a gruelling five-match Test tour of England, which ended in a 2-2 draw. He walked the talk, piled up a record-shattering 754 runs at 75.40, with a career-best 269, as the series concluded level on 2-2.
India's ODI squad for 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.
- ANI
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