Keeping the legends sharp: How Shubman Gill plans to manage Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's ODI rhythm

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will need careful management going forward, now that they play only one format, skipper Shubman Gill said on Saturday, underlining the importance of game time for the two white-ball legends.

Kohli and Rohit finished the ODI series on a high, scoring unbeaten 74 and 121 respectively, guiding India to a nine-wicket win in the dead rubber against Australia.

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Asked about the upcoming gap before the next series against South Africa and then New Zealand, Gill admitted there has been no discussion yet. “We haven't talked about it yet. But I think once the South Africa ODI series is over (on December 6), there will be a gap in international cricket before the New Zealand ODI series (January 11, 2026). So I think then we will see how to keep the players in touch. Then I think a decision will be taken,” he said.




With only six more ODIs for the season — three against South Africa and three against New Zealand — ensuring adequate game time is a challenge.

For the young skipper, watching the 38-year-old Rohit and 36-year-old Kohli finish a clinical chase was nothing short of a treat. “They've been doing this for the past 15 years. To be able to watch them play like this and get the team through unbeaten is really a treat to watch,” Gill said.

He added, “As a captain, when you sit outside and watch the match, it feels really good that the two senior-most players of the team are playing, and they're getting the team through.”

Gill also highlighted the technical brilliance of the duo: “I think, like I said, it's a treat to watch both of them, especially when they're batting like that, and seeing the ball fly off their bats, and just hearing the sound that comes off their bat is something that tells you how good a nick that they're both in.”

He concluded by praising their approach to finishing games: “Watching them from outside and taking the team through is something that we often talk about in team meetings. They are walking the talk, so it's a great bonus to us.”

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