Indian captain Shubman Gill on Monday made it clear that veteran superstars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma remain an “integral part” of the national 50-over setup. Speaking ahead of the 1st of a 3-match ODI series against England on Tuesday, Gill emphasized that the experience and skill level of the two legends will be vital as India look to bounce back from a tough run of results.
India enter the series under pressure after suffering heavy defeats in the shortest format, having been drubbed 0-2 by Ireland and 0-4 by England in the preceding T20I leg. Gill is counting on the veteran duo to anchor the batting lineup and revive the team’s form.
“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 told reporters 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.”
Gill explained that having such an experienced batting unit provides a sense of stability when the team faces crunch situations on the field.
“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,” Gill said. “So, I think you get a sense of calmness when you are under pressure. So experience is very important in any lineup,”
Looking ahead to the long-term future, the skipper revealed that he has already started planning for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, holding tactical discussions with Kohli during net sessions.
“We were talking 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.
The captain also welcomed the return of premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested following IPL 2026 to manage his heavy workload. Gill expects Bumrah’s return to immediately 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,” Gill added. “And hopefully, this one-day series goes well for him and hopefully we will win the series and end up on a high.”
