Ex-India cricketer Mohammad Kaif said Shubman Gill was likely pressurised into ODI captaincy. He called the Ajit Agarkar-led selectors’ decision rushed, risking overburdening Gill, and suggested it should have waited until after the 2027 World Cup.
Former India all-rounder Mohammad Kaif has made a massive statement on Shubman Gill’s appointment as ODI captain, succeeding Rohit Sharma, ahead of the Men in Blue’s white-ball tour of Australia, which will begin on October 19. The BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced a 15-member ODI squad for the series in Australia on Saturday, with Gill being named as captain.
Shubman Gill was in contention to take over ODI captaincy duties from Rohit Sharma, given that the 26-year-old is leading India in Tests and serving as a vice-captain in T20Is. Gill had served as Rohit’s deputy in the ODI series and the Champions Trophy 2025, gaining valuable leadership experience ahead of taking full-time charge of the game. Ahead of the squad announcement, it was reported that the selectors decided to pass on the ODI captaincy baton from Rohit Sharma to Shubman Gill.
Speaking about the change in captaincy, Ajit Agarkar highlighted the impracticability of having three captains for different formats and wanted to give time and opportunities to Shubman Gill to build the team in the build-up to the 2027 World Cup.
Change in ODI Captaincy after 2027 World Cup
The BCCI selection committee’s decision to remove Rohit Sharma from ODI captaincy became a major topic of discussion, as many believed that the veteran Indian batter should have been allowed to lead the Men in Blue in the 2027 ODI World Cup. Mohammad Kaif echoed a similar opinion, stating that the change in ODI captaincy could have taken place after the marquee event.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaif stated that the selectors, Ajit Agarkar, rushed to o hand over the ODI captaincy to Shubman Gill, giving him full responsibility much earlier than expected.
“This was on expected lines, but I felt this would happen after the 2027 World Cup. The guy has quality, and he’s also worked on his fitness. He had a realistic chance of playing the 2027 World Cup,” the former India cricketer said.
“However, the load falls on Gill. He’s getting all of it in a hurry. It could also lead to a loss. When you get so much in such a short time, it could backfire,” he added.
Rohit Sharma has been quite a success as a captain in white-ball cricket, leading the Men in Blue to the T20 World Cup triumph last year, after which he retired from the format at the international level, and the Champions Trophy win this year. In the ODI format, Rohit led Team India to 42 wins in 56 matches and has a win percentage of 75.
‘Ajit Agarkar Pressurised Shubman Gill’
Further speaking about the ODI captaincy change, Mohammad Kaif believes that selectors, led by Ajit Agarkar, pressured Gill into accepting the role prematurely.
“My point is that don’t overburden him. He captains in Tests, bats at No. 4. He was made the vice-captain in the Asia Cup – will take over when Suryakumar Yadav steps aside. Now you’ve made him the ODI captain,” Kaif said.
“I feel everything is being done in a hurry. A player never asks for captaincy. Everyone knows that he didn’t want it. You can’t demand it, but everyone seems to like him a lot and considers him a captain for the future. The selectors, including Ajit Agarkar, have pressurised him.” he added.
Shubman Gill was groomed and nurtured into a leadership role when he captained Team India in the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe last year and was later appointed as vice-captain of the white-ball team before being elevated to Test captain ahead of the England tour this year.