New Delhi [India], October 5 : Former England spinner Monty Panesar believes India's decision to hand Shubman Gill the ODI captaincy is a masterstroke, considering the 26-year-old, a "natural leader", is a type of player who thrives when given the responsibility.
On Saturday afternoon, Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed that he had personally informed Rohit Sharma of the management's decision to relieve him of the ODI captaincy. Gill was announced as Rohit's successor, and his first assignment will be the three ODIs in Australia, scheduled to begin on October 19.
Agarkar's announcement took many by surprise, leaving fans and former cricketers with split views. Panesar welcomed the decision and believes the added leadership responsibility will bring out the best in Gill, potentially leading to his finest ODI series yet.
"Well, I think it is a great decision because I think he has done really well. Making him captain while Rohit Sharma is there, he can help him and guide him during the series. It is a really good move. We have seen he is a natural leader that we have seen in England," Panesar told ANI.
"When you give him responsibility, you see the best of Shubman Gill. I think we will see the best of him in the ODI series. I wouldn't be surprised that they give him the T20I captaincy because I think he is a type of player who does well when you give him responsibility," the former England spinner concluded.
After assuming the leadership role in ODIs, Gill has set his sights on the 2027 World Cup. With India expected to play around 20 ODIs during the buildup to the marquee event, he intends to return home with the coveted trophy.
"It is the biggest honour to be able to lead your country in the One Day and to be able to lead a side that has done well. It's an immense pride for me. I hope I will be able to do great. I think we have about 20 ODIs before we play the World Cup, and obviously the ultimate goal is the World Cup in South Africa," Gill said in a video posted by the BCCI.
India ODI squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal.
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