Shubman Gill said Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma remain an integral part of India's ODI setup because of their experience and quality
India will look to bounce back from T20I series defeats against Ireland and England in the three-match ODI series starting Tuesday
Gill revealed he has already discussed team combinations with Kohli ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa
Skipper Shubman Gill on Monday asserted that star batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma remain an “integral part” of India’s ODI team, considering the experience and skill level of the two veterans in the 50-over format.
India will bank on Kohli and Rohit to revive India’s fortunes in the three-match ODI series against England, beginning here on Tuesday.
In the preceding T20I leg, India were drubbed 0-2 and 0-4 by Ireland and England respectively.
“I think Virat Bhai and Rohit Bhai…they have been the backbone of the Indian batting lineup for the past decade and they remain a very integral part of our team,” Gill said during the pre-match press conference.
“The experience and the skill that they bring to the team is obviously very valuable. We have seen what they have done over the past decade in different conditions, repetitively, consistently, in a number of matches, different tournaments, different occasions,” he added.
To emphasise his point, Gill said experience will come handy when a team goes through a crunch situation.
“If there is an experienced lineup, I think you get a lot of experience in pressure situations because you have been in that situation many times and you have done good and bad.
“So, I think you get a sense of calmness when you are under pressure. So experience is very important in any lineup,” he said.
Gill said he already held a discussion with Kohli, a veteran in South African conditions, about a workable combination of players for the 50-over World Cup to be held in the Rainbow nation in 2027.
“We (him and Kohli) were talking (at nets) about the combination. Which combination can be the best for SA? Which players are there who may not be in the team right now, but can help us in the future?
“Which bowlers are there? Which all-rounders are there? Which spinners are there? So, we were talking about all that,” he noted.
Gill also hoped that the return of ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested to manage his workload after IPL 2026, will boost India’s pace attack.
“Bumrah is coming into the setup after a bit of time. And hopefully, he has had a good number of overs leading up to this one-day series.
“And hopefully, this one-day series goes well for him and hopefully we will win the series and end up on a high,” he added.
