Gambhir: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have helped Shubman Gill evolve

Gautam Gambhir said Shubman Gill will have Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma alongside him when India host the West Indies for a three-match ODI series, with the first match at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, September 27. Gambhir highlighted the pair’s presence as a support to the young captain ahead of the series.

Gill took over as India’s ODI captain last year and will lead the side against the West Indies while Kohli and Rohit return to the national set-up after the series against England. Both veterans were named in the squad for the West Indies series, with KL Rahul named as vice-captain. Gambhir made his remarks in an interview with JioStar.

“In one-day cricket, when you talk about it, he's very fortunate that he's got the likes of Rohit and Virat to help him on the field and off the field as well. And then, more importantly, I think that calmness, I think keeping the emotions aside, because when you're young, sometimes you can actually get dragged into the emotions as well,” Gambhir said in an interview with JioStar.

Gambhir also praised Gill’s leadership approach and listed attributes he believes the captain has shown. “He has actually ticked all the boxes. He has been calm, he has been selfless, he has been aggressive, he has said the right things he leads by example, not only by runs. “So I feel that he has done all the right things. Hopefully, he'll get the results as well because he has had a bit of a tough time in one-day cricket. But I am sure, I think things will turn around because he has done all the right things,” Gambhir said.

The second ODI will be played in Guwahati on September 30 before the series concludes with the third match at New Chandigarh on October 3. The wider West Indies tour will then continue with a five-match T20I series, ending in Bengaluru on October 17. The presence of Rohit and Kohli adds considerable experience to India’s ODI batting line-up.

Gill has scored 331 runs in six ODIs against the West Indies at an average of 66.2 and a strike rate of 92.71, with a highest score of 98.

With Rohit and Kohli’s experience around him, Gill will look to build on that record while balancing his responsibilities as India’s ODI captain; the opening match against the West Indies takes place at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, September 27.