India’s ODI captain Shubman Gill has dismissed speculation around the futures of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, insisting that the veteran duo “remain a very integral part” of Team India as the ODI World Cup approaches. Gill emphasised the wealth of experience they bring to the dressing room, having played across conditions for nearly two decades.
“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 said during the pre‑match press conference ahead of the 1st ODI against England.
“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,” he added.
Gill further underlined how having seasoned heads in the side eases pressure in high‑voltage contests.
“If there is an experienced line‑up, 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.So, I think you get a sense of calmness when you are under pressure. So experience is very important in any lineup,” he said.
Both Kohli and Rohit carry abundant ODI experience in South Africa and Zimbabwe, two of the venues for next year’s World Cup. Kohli has featured in 20 ODIs in South Africa and nine in Zimbabwe, while Rohit has played 14 ODIs in South Africa and eight in Zimbabwe.
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Meanwhile, India will take on England in the first of three ODIs at Edgbaston in Birmingham on July 14. The Men in Blue suffered a 4-0 shellacking at the hands of England in the recently concluded five-match T20I series.
