Lord’s brings Gill a chance to stamp his authority on ODI side

5 min readJul 18, 2026 07:56 PM Ahead of Sunday’s ODI series decider against England at Lord’s, there are two stories unfolding at the same time. One is the mundane issue of the fate of the three-match rubber. India’s last away bilateral ODI series win came in South Africa in late 2023. Since then, they have lost in Sri Lanka (2024) and Australia (2025).
The other matter is transition. If this does turn out to be Rohit Sharma’s farewell game, as has been widely reported, the match could also mark the end of one of India’s greatest white-ball careers and the beginning of India’s next ODI chapter.
That makes the occasion significant for Shubman Gill.
The 26-year-old took over from Rohit as India’s ODI captain last October, inheriting a side that had already developed a clear identity. Under Rohit, India reached the 2023 World Cup final before winning the Champions Trophy in 2025. Instead of a rebuild, he’s had the more delicate task of taking over the team while looking to put his own imprint on it.

In the 11 games he has led in, India have won six and lost five. The numbers don’t suggest a struggling team, but neither do they point to a captain who has stamped his authority on the side so far.
Every successful captain has one early series that becomes the first reference point for his leadership. For MS Dhoni, it was the CB series win in 2008. For Virat Kohli, it was winning an ODI series in South Africa for the first time in 2018. Gill is waiting for a similar achievement.
Virat Kohli in action. (FILE photo)
England may have slipped to seventh in the ODI rankings, but the series has underlined why they still remain a dangerous side. Jofra Archer has bowled superbly, Joe Root has anchored the batting, and the lower order has made useful contributions.
A series win in England would therefore become the first defining achievement of Gill’s ODI captaincy.Story continues below this ad
Tough start
India lost 2-1 in Australia in his first assignment. A promising start against New Zealand at home quickly unravelled as defeats in Rajkot and Indore handed the visitors the series, raising questions about India’s ability to overcome stronger opposition under their new leader.
Last month’s series victory against Afghanan brought welcome relief, but it was also a result most expected India to achieve given the gulf between the two teams.

Captaincy transitions are rarely smooth, especially when the predecessor leaves behind a settled core and a clear style of play. The next captain must preserve that foundation while making the team his own.
Gill is leading senior players from the Rohit era while trying to bring younger cricketers into the side and establish his own way of doing things.Story continues below this ad
The temptation after every series defeat would be to compare him with Rohit. But that would be unfair. Rohit had years of international experience and established authority in the dressing room before becoming India’s full-time ODI captain in 2021. Gill has stepped into the role much earlier in his career while continuing to establish himself as one of India’s batting mainstays.
Winning a bilateral series will not suddenly make Gill a great captain, but losing it should not prompt sweeping conclusions either. Eleven matches is too small a sample to judge a captaincy tenure. But landmark victories matter because they help build belief.
If Gill can lead India to victory at Lord’s, the conversation around his captaincy could shift. Instead of focusing on what has gone wrong since he took charge, attention will move towards what India are beginning to build under him.
Rohit Sharma in action. (Deepak Malik / CREIMAS for BCCI)
Rohit factor
The Rohit factor adds another subplot to the occasion. Questions have also been asked about Rohit’s scores of 11 and 26 in the first two matches. India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel, however, dismissed concerns, saying that the 39-year-old is experienced enough to find solutions.Story continues below this ad
“No doubt Rohit will work it out. He has done it in the past. He is experienced. And he just brings that calmness to the batting line-up. So without a doubt, no worries and concerns at all with the way he is going about things,” Morkel said on Saturday.
If Sunday indeed proves to be Rohit’s final ODI, the symbolism will be hard to ignore. As captain, he transformed India’s ODI approach, encouraging greater intent at the top of the order while leading a side that consently delivered and challenged for global honours. Gill is not expected to become the next Rohit. India’s selectors chose him because they believe he can become the first Shubman Gill as captain. The challenge is to create an identity that is recognisably his own.

That journey needs milestones, and Sunday offers the first genuine chance. Dhoni had the CB Series. Kohli had South Africa. Gill is still waiting for his. Lord’s could be where he finds it.
Live on Sony Sports Network and JioHotstar, 3:30 p.m.
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Based in Mumbai, Shankar Narayan has over five years of experience and his reporting has ranged from the Ranji Trophy to ICC World Cups, and he writes extensively on women’s cricket. … Read More

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