 "'A glimpse of MS Dhoni in him': Raina makes case for veteran all-rounder over Shubman Gill as India's next ODI captain")
After being appointed as captain of Team India in Tests and the vice-captain of the T20 team, Shubman Gill is seen as the undisputed contender to succeed Rohit Sharma as the ODI captain. Speculation has gained momentum, with rumours of him being considered to lead India in all formats circulating strongly ever since chief selector Ajit Agarkar praised his leadership acumen.
However, offering a different opinion, former India player Suresh Raina has put his weight behind Hardik Pandya for the ODI captaincy.
Raina backs Pandya over Gill
According to Raina, BCCI may pick Gill as the ODI captain eventually, but he believes that Pandya is more suited to captain India in the format, as he sees a resemblance to MS Dhoni in his captaincy style.
“Shubman Gill any day, the way they decide but I think Hardik Pandya will do a lot of miracles in white-ball cricket as a captain," Raina said on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube channel. Even Shubman Gill can be that guy. Hopefully, he [Hardik] should become captain again. He has experience like Kapil Paji whether it’s batting, bowling or fielding. And he’s a very very positive guy. The way he has performed, he is a captain for the players. I see him as a glimpse of MS Dhoni in him, the way he interact and conduct on the ground, the energy, I like the most,” he added.
Coming from someone who has played tons of cricket under Dhoni, Raina’s preference for Pandya over Gill has solid reasoning. The comparison went beyond just leadership style as Raina also highlighted Pandya’s all-round skills and drew parallels with another World Cup-winning captain of India, Kapil Dev.
Hardik Pandya as Captain in the IPL
Pandya began to emerge as a potential captain of India following his two-year stint with the Gujarat Titans. He led the team to the coveted IPL title in its first season in 2022 and missed retaining the championship by a whisker in 2023. He then moved to the Mumbai Indians, where he suffered a difficult spell in the first season as the team finished at the bottom of the league table. However, the Mumbai Indians under Hardik Pandya came back strong in the subsequent season. MI finished fourth on the table and made it to the playoffs in IPL 2025.
While nothing is concrete on who will eventually become the new captain of India, one thing is sure- India’s future is certainly bright with such quality options waiting in the wings.
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