Shreyas Iyer vs Shubman Gill for India's ODI captaincy - Gautam Gambhir shockingly picks side
Published - 14 Aug 2025, 03:27 PM | Updated - 14 Aug 2025, 05:01 PM
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The India National Cricket Team Gautam Gambhir will undoubtedly favor Shubman Gill for the ODI captaincy since he is the Test captain as well if Rohit Sharma calls time on his career in Australia. But many felt Gautam Gambhir's bias towards Shubman Gill would be unfair to Shreyas Iyer.
With Rohit Sharma’s ODI captaincy seemingly nearing its end, the big question is who takes over the leadership of India’s white-ball format? Shubman Gill’s early success as Test captain in England has already sparked discussion about a smooth transition.
Gautam Gambhir pushes Shubman Gill for ODI captaincy
Several former Indian cricketers have been demanding that the BCCI hand over the all-format captaincy to Gill, while some are questioning the timing of the possible changes in the coming days. Gill, just in his early 20s, has already been hailed as India’s next long-term leader.
Many have been comparing Gill with Graeme Smith, who famously took charge of South Africa at a young age. However, some felt it could be a risky move, as Gill is still finding his consistency across formats, and loading him with the pressure of ODI captaincy might derail the golden run.
On the other hand, there's Shreyas Iyer, the stylish middle-order batter who has been a pillar of stability in ODI cricket. Iyer brings seniority, a cool head, and years of consistent performance. He knows how to anchor innings under pressure, and his leadership skills in the IPL have been impressive.
Gautam Gambhir against any captaincy role for Shreyas Iyer
Iyer, who took Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings to the IPL finals and won the trophy for Kolkata Knight Riders, looks like the natural candidate to steer India into the next ODI World Cup 2027. Even Hardik Pandya is seen as another option, but his constant battles with fitness make him a gamble India may not want to take.
The selectors are now in a tough situation, as India has three captains for each format with Gautam Gambhir’s influence looming large. A report in CricBlogger suggested the Indian head coach isn’t in favor of Iyer taking over captaincy of any format, and he was even against his selection for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Gambhir is keen on giving Gill the responsibility of the ODI team.
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Suryakumar to lead till 2026 T20 World Cup; Shubman Gill set to return to leadership role
Well, Suryakumar Yadav is set to continue as T20I skipper until the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. If Gambhir wants a full transition across the formats, Rohit may play his last ODI series in Australia, and Gill will be India’s next ODI and Test captain as well.
Notably, Shubman Gill was given the chance to captain a second-string Indian side in Zimbabwe after the T20 World Cup last year. Later, he was made vice-captain of a near full-strength squad for the T20I series in Sri Lanka in July, raising hopes that he was being prepared for a bigger role.
But as India turned its focus to Test cricket, Gill was not picked for the home T20Is against Bangladesh in October, the away series in South Africa in November, and the high-profile T20Is against England in January. In his absence, Axar Patel was promoted to vice-captain. Now, there are reports that Gill is all set to return to a leadership role in the shorter format of the game.
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Rashmi Wasnik is a passionate content writer with over a decade of experience. She started her journ... Read more
