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NEW DELHI: Former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will remain central to India’s plans for the upcoming white-ball tour of Australia, even as Shubman Gill takes over as ODI captain, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed on Saturday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Speaking about the two veterans, Agarkar reassured fans on their fitness after a long break from international cricket. “They have both done their fitness tests. They’ve gone through the required norms that have been put in place. I haven’t heard anything beyond that,” he said.Agarkar also addressed the unusual situation of Rohit and Kohli playing only one format. “Those are two really experienced guys who have been around for a long time. They will find it really weird to play just one format. You should ask them. It doesn’t happen too many times,” he noted, highlighting the board’s faith in their continued value to the team.
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Gill, 26, who already leads India in Tests, will now captain both ODIs and Tests while also serving as vice-captain in T20Is under Suryakumar Yadav. “It’s practically impossible to have three different captains for three formats in terms of planning… We will surely start planning for the ODI World Cup. Give the next guy enough time,” Agarkar said on consolidating leadership.Agarkar confirmed that Rohit had been informed about the change and hinted that he and Gill are likely to open in ODIs, with young talent like Yashasvi Jaiswal also in contention.With Gill at the helm and Rohit and Kohli continuing as senior batsmen, team India balances experience and fresh leadership as it prepares for the Australian tour starting October 19.India’s ODI squad: Shubman Gill (Captain), 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), and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
