Legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers believes that the Indian selectors may have had the 2027 World Cup in mind when handing over the captaincy of the ODI side to Shubman Gill.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, de Villiers also said that the presence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli would be beneficial for the young captain, allowing him to learn from their experience.
“It’s not guaranteed that both of them will be there for the next World Cup,” said de Villiers. “That may be part of the thinking behind appointing Shubman Gill as the ODI captain. He has a good chance of being there — a young gun, in incredible form, and a fantastic leader. I think this was the right move: to still have Rohit and Virat around. Shubman Gill will learn from two of the most experienced Indian players of all time — high-quality, legendary players. It will be fantastic for Shubman to have them around. It’s for the tour, which is actually just around the corner. So we’ll be buckling up for some high entertainment and a great series.”
India’s squad for the three-match ODI series in Australia was announced recently, with Gill named as captain, bringing Rohit’s tenure as skipper to an end. The decision has divided opinion.
De Villiers also stated that Rohit and Kohli will need to perform well to secure their places for the 2027 World Cup.
“But with the kind of competition Team India has these days — and the quality — the two of them know they need to go out and score runs. It would be a great asset for Team India to have them at the World Cup. But the priority is to score runs. I have no doubt the two of them will come through, and we’ll see them at the 2027 World Cup,” he added.
Both Rohit and Kohli last played competitive cricket in the IPL. The forthcoming series against Australia could be their final tour Down Under.
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