Team India is entering a new chapter under Shubman Gill after nearly ten years of leadership shared between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Despite India having multiple captains due to a busy international schedule, it has been a long time since both stalwarts featured in an international match led by someone other than themselves.
Virat Kohli captained India in all formats from 2017 until late 2021, while Rohit Sharma’s tenure continued until the 2025 Champions Trophy. Therefore, the last time both players played under a different skipper was during MS Dhoni’s final game as a full-time captain.
Dhoni stepped down from ODI captaincy in January 2017, and his last match in the role, which was also his 200th as captain, took place in the series decider against New Zealand on October 29, 2016, in Vizag.
With the series tied 2-2 going into the fifth ODI, India chose to bat first. Playing solely as batters, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma both notched half-centuries and stitched together a 79-run stand for the second wicket. Trent Boult removed Rohit for 70, and soon after, Ish Sodhi dismissed Kohli for 65.
MS Dhoni ended his captaincy stint on a high as New Zealand crumbled in the run chase, getting bowled out for just 79 in pursuit of 270. Amit Mishra was the standout performer with a five-wicket haul, while only three New Zealand batters managed to reach double digits.
Shubman Gill To Lead Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli In AUS vs IND 2025 ODIs
Since stepping down from captaincy after the 2021 IPL, T20 World Cup, and the 2021-22 South Africa tour, Virat Kohli has featured under different leaders. In contrast, Rohit Sharma has mostly led India across formats in recent years, except in the recent IPL seasons, where he played under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy.
Shubman Gill is set to begin his ODI captaincy career with the series opener against Australia at Perth’s Optus Stadium on Sunday, October 19.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
