“Fair Call”: Sourav Ganguly Backs Shubman Gill’s Appointment as India’s New ODI Captain

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly supported the decision to make Shubman Gill India’s new ODI skipper.

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has backed the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) decision to appoint Shubman Gill as India’s new ODI captain, describing it as a “fair call.” His comments came shortly after the BCCI announced the leadership change ahead of India’s upcoming white-ball series in Australia.

Ganguly explained that the decision to hand over the ODI captaincy to Gill was likely taken with Rohit Sharma’s understanding and involvement.

“I think it has been done in consultation with Rohit. From outside, I don’t know what’s inside,” Ganguly was quoted as saying by PTI.

“Somewhere down the line, I feel that it’s a fair call. Rohit can continue playing, and meanwhile, a young captain is groomed. So, I really don’t see a problem in that,” he added.

The former Indian skipper highlighted that with Rohit still active in Test and T20I cricket, grooming a young leader for the future made perfect sense. Gill, who recently captained India in the five-Test series against England, impressed both with his leadership skills and consistent batting performances. Under his captaincy, India drew the series 2-2, with Gill finishing as the leading run-scorer across both teams.

The 25-year-old opener accumulated 754 runs in the series, including four centuries, surpassing Graham Gooch’s 752 runs from 1990 and eclipsing Sunil Gavaskar’s 732 — the previous highest by an Indian captain in a Test series.

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Praising Gill’s maturity and temperament, Ganguly said the young captain has displayed qualities well beyond his age.

“For the tour of England, I thought he was brilliant. I have seen the five-Test series. The way he played and captained the team was extraordinary,” Ganguly said.

“That is why he has been made the captain of the ODI team for the future. He has a lot of potential, both as a player and captain,” he added.

India will next play three ODIs in Australia starting October 19, followed by a five-match T20I series from October 29, with Gill set to lead the 50-over squad for the first time.

Last Updated on October 9, 2025