In a landmark decision, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) appointed Shubman Gill as India’s ODI captain for the upcoming Australia tour, marking a new era in Indian cricket leadership. The announcement was made by chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar shortly after India’s victory over West Indies in the first Test in Ahmedabad.
The move comes months after Gill replaced Rohit Sharma as India’s Test captain following Rohit’s retirement from red-ball cricket. With this, the 25-year-old opener now leads both the Test and ODI sides, signaling the selectors’ long-term vision for India’s future across formats.
Shreyas Iyer Named Vice-Captain
Middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer has been appointed vice-captain of the ODI squad, though he does not feature in the T20I side. The ODI series begins on October 19 in Perth, followed by a five-match T20I series from October 29 in Canberra.
Rohit and Kohli Retained as Senior Players
Veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli remain part of the ODI setup but are available only for the 50-over format after retiring from Tests and T20Is. Agarkar confirmed that Rohit was informed about the captaincy decision despite having recently led India to the Champions Trophy 2025 title.
Key Inclusions and Omissions
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Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the ODIs but will spearhead the attack in T20Is ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
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Hardik Pandya misses the tour due to injury, while Ravindra Jadeja has been dropped, with Axar Patel preferred as the spin-bowling all-rounder.
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Rishabh Pant continues to recover from a fractured foot, meaning KL Rahul will keep wickets. Dhruv Jurel has been picked as backup wicketkeeper over Sanju Samson.
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Rising all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has replaced Pandya in both squads, while Yashasvi Jaiswal tours as a reserve opener.
India Squads for Australia Tour
ODI Squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal.
T20I Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (VC), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.
A Generational Shift
With Gill taking charge of both Tests and ODIs, and Suryakumar Yadav leading the T20I side, Indian cricket has clearly entered a transition phase, blending senior experience with young leadership ahead of next year’s World Cup cycle.
