India's ODI captain Shubman Gill has backed the ICC's decision to not make changes to the 50-over format, insisting the ODI World Cup remains the pinnacle while suggesting the return of tri-series and quadrangular tournaments to inject fresh interest into ODI cricket.
Speaking ahead of the opening ODI against England, Gill said he grew up watching 50-over cricket and felt the format did not require a reduction to 40 overs. Instead, he believes bringing back multi-team tournaments would make the format more exciting for both players and fans.
"I grew up watching 50-over cricket a lot and it remained an integral part of my childhood," Gill said ahead of the first ODI in Birmingham. "When I think of the World Cup, the first thought that comes to mind is the 50-over World Cup. For me, the 50-over World Cup is the most prestigious World Cup. I don't think it should be changed to 40 overs.
"One thing is that we used to play a lot of triangular series and it was really fun to watch. India, Australia and Sri Lanka used to play those tournaments. If I ever get a chance to play in a triangular series, it will be fun because you are not playing one team continuously. If we want to make this format more interesting, instead of having bilateral series, we can have triangular or quadrangular series. That'll be interesting to play and to watch."
Gill also dismissed suggestions that India's 4-0 T20I series defeat to England, which followed a 2-0 loss in Ireland, would have any bearing on the ODI side. "I don't think that will have an impact on this team," Gill stated. "It's a different format, a different team and the goal is different. We just played the T20 World Cup and won. Now, playing the one-day series, our team has a different goal as to what we want to achieve. In that regard, I think the atmosphere is different."
While injuries to Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana have forced India to alter their plans, Gill maintained the ODI side remains settled and stressed the importance of exposing younger players to high-pressure situations before the 2027 World Cup. "I don't think there are any concerning areas. And I also don't think we have an unsettled XI. But obviously you have to give the new players a chance and experience. The more they are in pressure situations and the more they do well, the better it will be for us before the World Cup," he observed.
"We were a bit unfortunate. Reddy got injured before the series and Harshit Rana is injured. We wanted to play them in as many matches as possible before the World Cup so that when their turn comes, they feel settled. Obviously, because of the injuries, we have had to play a different combination."
Gill also revealed that a conversation with Virat Kohli earlier this week revolved around identifying the best squad combinations for the 2027 event. "The conversation was regarding the combination - what combination could be best for us, which players may not be in the team right now but could help us in the future, which bowlers, all-rounders and spinners. We were talking about that," Gill confirmed.
The India skipper reiterated the value of senior pros Kohli and Rohit Sharma, while expressing confidence that Jasprit Bumrah would ease back into ODI cricket with the pacer all set to play his first game in the format post the 2023 World Cup final. "I think Virat bhaiand Rohit bhaihave been the backbone of the Indian batting lineup for the past decade. They remain a very integral part of our team. The experience and the skill that they bring is obviously very valuable. We have seen what they have done over the past decade in different conditions, consistently and on different occasions.
"And yes, Bumrah is coming into the setup after a bit of time. Hopefully, he's had a good number of overs leading up to this one-day series and hopefully this series goes well for him."
