West Indies great supports Rohit Sharma’s sacking, calls Shubman Gill becoming ODI captain a 'futuristic move'

Indian cricket has entered a bold new era as Shubman Gill officially takes charge of India’s ODI team, replacing Rohit Sharma. The announcement came after the Ahmedabad Test, where Shubman Gill led India to an innings and 140-run victory over the West Indies.

Gill is already captain of India’s Test side and vice-captain of the T20I side, and he will now shoulder the responsibility of guiding the ODI side into a fresh chapter, with the ICC World Cup 2027 on the horizon. The decision to hand the ODI reins to the 25-year-old batter is well planned.

His rise has been swift yet steady, as the Punjab lad first grabbed headlines as a teenage star in the Under-19 World Cup, then evolved into one of India’s most dependable run-getters across the formats, and now, he’s trusted to lead the national side.

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Ian Bishop calls Shubman Gill’s appointment a ‘Futuristic Move’ as India eyes 2027 World Cup glory

Reacting to BCCI’s big announcement, the former West Indies pacer and renowned commentator Ian Bishop, who has watched Gill’s journey closely, believes that this is a strategic move. He sees Gill’s appointment as an investment in long-term stability, especially with Rohit Sharma nearing the final phase of his international career and now focusing solely on ODIs.

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Bishop has noted that Rohit’s experience remains invaluable, but India needs a younger leader to build a squad capable of winning the ICC World Cup 2027.

Ian Bishop said on ESPNCricinfo: “I believe it's a move worth going to with a long-term view of who tries to take that ODI team forward. You've still got Rohit Sharma, but by the time that World Cup comes around, he'll be a couple years older. He'll only be playing one format of the game, which is another challenge if you're perhaps not a guy who is sort of big and one of the fittest guys in the world. Virat Kohli, for example, is always a fit guy. So, I think it's a futuristic move. It's one worth finding out now, given some time before that World Cup comes around.”

Ian Bishop lauds Shubman Gill’s calm and composed leadership in IPL and Tests

Shubman Gill’s calm demeanor has already impressed the West Indies great. In the IPL, the right-hander showcased his composure under pressure, leading the Gujarat Titans with a cool head and maintaining his form with the bat for the last two seasons.

His Test captaincy has also shown that he can handle the dual challenge of leading and performing, having finished as the leading run scorer on his debut series in England as captain.

Bishop further added, “In the IPL, he looks calm. In England, in the Test series, he showed that he's capable of leading the Indian lineup and still performing. I think that's one of the keys, to be able to lead tactically.”

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Ian Bishop backs Shubman Gill’s leadership, calls captaincy an Art that grows with experience

However, the well-known broadcaster has admitted that Shubman Gill’s leadership journey is still in its beginning. Bishop further explained that captaincy is an art that matures over time, and it will take experience for Gill to become one of the game’s best tacticians.

Given Gill’s on-field strategies, decision-making, and ability to inspire the dressing room, the West Indies great feels India’s ODI team is in capable hands.

Bishop signed off by saying, “He will get better because captaincy and becoming one of the best strategists takes time. But the important thing is that he shows in this early stage of his leadership career, at whatever level, that he can lead the team and he can perform with the bat.”