Former Indian national cricket team wicketkeeper-batsman and current Gujarat Titans (GT) coach Parthiv Patel has revealed whether Shubman Gill will face any problem in leading Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in ODI cricket.
Parthiv Patel said that coach Shubman Gill does not need to make any special efforts in managing former India captain Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as they are very mature and will provide good support to the young star players from Punjab.
I don’t think Shubman Gill needs to put energy into managing senior players – Parthiv Patel
Rohit Sharma was recently removed as India ODI captain and will now play international cricket for the first time under Shubman Gill.
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Earlier, Rohit had played under Virat Kohli’s leadership before taking over the captaincy in all formats. Also, the last captain that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli played together was MS Dhoni and that was almost a decade ago.
It will be a new challenge for Rohit and Kohli to play under the 26-year-old and Shubman Gill may also face the challenge of leading the senior duo.
Meanwhile, Parthiv Patel, who shared the dressing room with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as players and Shubman Gill as coach, said the legendary duo were not the type to cause problems for youngsters.
“I don’t think it will matter what kind of personalities Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have. Look at Virat, he became captain when MS Dhoni was still active. He knows what role seniors play in developing a new captain,” Parthiv Patel was quoted as saying by PTI.
“The same thing happened when Rohit became captain. Yes, Virat was not his senior, but he was still a former captain. Obviously, they have gone through that phase and understand the decisions regarding the improvement of Indian cricket. Both of them always look mature. I don’t think Shubman Gill needs to put his energy into managing those senior players.”
Two years is a long time, especially considering there aren’t that many ODI games – Parthiv Patel
Talking about the future of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and whether they will be available for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2027, Parthiv Patel said that since very few ODI matches are played during the year, their availability for the remaining matches may be the biggest challenge for them. he said:
“Two years is a long time, especially when you consider that there aren’t that many ODI matches. Like in the early days when we were playing 20-25 matches a year, you get into a groove and before you know it, two years have passed.
“But it’s a different challenge and we’re also new to this kind of challenge. The challenge is to stay fit in the game.”
I definitely think they should play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy – Parthiv Patel
Recently, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar directed Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to make themselves available for the Vijay Hazare Trophy to remain in contention for a spot in the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Parthiv Patel also issued a statement along similar lines, urging Kohli and Rohit to play in domestic cricket competitions. he said:
“I definitely think they should play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. It’s not about setting an example like ‘we let Kohli and Rohit play the Vijay Hazare Trophy’. I don’t want to think that way.
“Playing in the Hazare Trophy will help their own game and in turn help the Indian cricket team.”
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