Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel has expressed confidence that newly appointed ODI captain Shubman Gill will have no trouble managing senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the upcoming ODI series in Australia.
Patel, speaking in an interview, highlighted the experience and maturity of the two senior stars.
“I don’t think that it will be a problem because of the kind of characters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are. You look at Virat, he became the captain when MS Dhoni was still playing. He knows what role a senior plays in grooming a new captain,” Patel said.
He added that the situation mirrors Rohit Sharma’s earlier captaincy experience:
“Same thing was there when Rohit became the captain. Yes, Virat was not his senior but nevertheless a former skipper. Obviously, they have gone through that phase and understand the decision, which is about the betterment of Indian cricket. Both of them always come across as mature. I don’t think Shubman needs to put in his energies behind managing those senior players.”
Importance of Domestic Cricket:
Patel also underlined the significance of maintaining match fitness amid a limited ODI schedule. With fewer bilateral ODIs in recent years, he suggested that Kohli and Rohit participate in domestic competitions like the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
“Two years is a long time, and especially if you see there aren’t too many ODI games. Like earlier times when there used to be 20-25 games a year, you get on a roll and before you know, two years passed by. But it is a different challenge, and we are also new to this kind of challenge. The challenge is to keep themselves match-fit,” Patel explained.
He stressed that playing domestic cricket is about improving their own game rather than setting an example:
“Playing Hazare Trophy will help their own game, and that in turn will help the Indian cricket team.”
The upcoming Australia tour will also serve as a litmus test for the future of Virat and Rohit in the ODI format. The management will assess their performances and how well the team gels under Shubman Gill with both senior players in the lineup.
Parthiv Patel Confident Shubman Gill Can Handle Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma In ODIs
