Rishabh Pant could replace injured Rohit Sharma as Shubman Gill may make his ODI captaincy debut in India’s Champions Trophy Group A match against New Zealand.
Shubman Gill might make his ODI captaincy debut in the last group-stage match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 against New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday. The Indian team management is thinking of giving captain Rohit Sharma a rest for this match, according to The Indian Express.
Rohit hurt his hamstring while chasing a ball during Pakistan’s innings in India’s second Group A match on February 23. He struggled a bit and left the field after the 26th over. During that match, vice-captain Gill took charge for a while. Although Rohit came back to lead later, he did not look fully fit.
Worries about Rohit’s fitness grew when he did not bat during India’s first training session in Dubai on Wednesday, two days after beating Pakistan. Reports say he was the only batter who did not practice in the nets and did not even take throwdowns. Instead, he spent much time discussing plans with head coach Gautam Gambhir. The only positive sign was a short sprint he made, showing that his injury might not be very serious, but it could be enough for the team to rest him in the match against New Zealand.
The match against New Zealand is not very important in the tournament because both teams have already qualified for the semi-finals. The only aim now is to finish as Group A winners. Another reason to rest Rohit is the one-day gap between this match and India’s semi-final on March 4.
No matter what, India will play the first semi-final in Dubai on March 4. The other semi-final is in Pakistan, and India will not travel there. The team still does not know who they will face next, as Australia, Afghanistan, and South Africa from Group B all have a chance of qualifying. Much will depend on the Australia vs Afghanistan match on Friday.
If Rohit Sharma is not available or is rested as a safety measure, he may be replaced by either Rishabh Pant or Washington Sundar. Both of them, who bat left-handed, have spent more time in the nets than before any match in this tournament. It is important to note that India does not have an extra opener. Recently, Yashasvi Jaiswal was dropped to include spinner Varun Chakaravarthy. Although KL Rahul is also in the team and has opened before, playing him on Sunday as Gill’s partner might disturb the batting order since he has done well in the middle order for the past few years.
Pant has experience opening the batting in shorter formats, and like Rohit, he can be aggressive in the powerplay.
About Shubman Gill’s captaincy record: He first came into the picture as a captain when IPL team Gujarat Titans gave him the leadership role before last year’s season. Later, he captained a young Indian side in five T20Is in Zimbabwe, winning four of those matches. Most top players were rested on that tour since it happened right after India’s T20 World Cup win in the Caribbean. Gill’s rise as a future ODI captain became clear when he was made India’s vice-captain for the England series and then for the Champions Trophy. Rohit Sharma even mentioned that Gill’s excellent form in 50-over cricket, which made him the number one batter, was a big reason for his promotion in the leadership group.
In this tournament, Gill has been in great form, scoring a century against Bangladesh and 46 against Pakistan. He also attended a private nets session on Thursday to sharpen his skills.
