Gill says the World Cup triumph, not Australia Loss, defines India – Sport

On By Littum

NAGPUR: Government of the T20 World Cups India has been in top form across all formats, said Deputy Captain Shubman Gill on Tuesday, dismissing his side’s test defeat in Australia as a time.

Rohit Sharma’s men got the T20 krone in South Africa last year, seven months after they ended the latest ODI world championship at home as runners.

But a 3-0-test money laundering at home to New Zealand in October-November, followed by the 3-1 defeat in Australia last month, then star cricketers including Sharma and Virat Kohli under control of their poor batting form.

“A series does not define the shape of the whole team,” Gill told journalists ahead of the first of three one-day internations against England, starting in Nagpur on Thursday. “Definitely we did not play according to our expectations in the Australian series, but still we played some good cricket,” said the supreme order Batsman.

“A match and one day do not define us … We have to remember all these things.”

The three ODI matches that follow India’s victory with the 4-1 T20 series over England are in front of the 50-over Champions Trophy, which starts on February 19th.

Sharma and Kohli, who both retired from the T20 crick after the World Cup, returned to the ODI setup and Gill said the team is optimistic.

However, he also warned that the three matches against a “good” England team were not a practice driving for Champions Trophy. Gill, 25, is seen as a potential future leader of India, every time Sharma, 37, retires from ODI and test cricket.

He said that being a substitute for Sharma had been one of the biggest challenges of his international career since 2019.

“I take it as a challenge to lead my way, firstly with my performance and then definitely in the field if Rohit Bhai wants my opinions,” Gill said. “What are the plans for certain batsmen, certain bowlers, how to take on certain contradictions – just learning, there is a great curve for me.” Wrist spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been added to the Odi troop after he was appointed player in the series in the T20s with 14 wickets in five games against England.

Published in Dawn, 5th February 2025