Rohit Sharma vs Gautam Gambhir: The Indian cricket team for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and the ODI series against England has been officially announced. The squad remains largely unchanged, with only one modification; the same players selected for the Champions Trophy will also compete in the ODI series. Rohit Sharma will lead the team as captain, while the promising young talent Shubman Gill has been appointed as vice-captain, sparking speculation that he may be groomed as Rohit’s eventual successor.
Tension between Gambhir and Rohit?
However, a report suggests that coach Gautam Gambhir opposed the decision to appoint Shubman Gill as vice-captain. This has reignited discussions about the tension between Rohit and Gambhir. The report indicates that Gambhir favored Hardik Pandya for the vice-captaincy, but Rohit and the chief selector advocated for Gill. After a lengthy meeting lasting over two hours, Shubman Gill’s name was ultimately approved.
It’s worth noting that Hardik Pandya was a strong candidate for the captaincy leading up to the T20 World Cup, where he served as vice-captain alongside Rohit. However, following the World Cup, Rohit backed Suryakumar Yadav for the captaincy in the T20 format, effectively sidelining Hardik from the captaincy race.
Additionally, the report mentions that Sanju Samson’s name was also brought up in discussions regarding the ODI series and Champions Trophy. Gambhir preferred to include Samson as the primary wicketkeeper over Rishabh Pant, but Rohit insisted on giving Pant the opportunity in ODIs, with KL Rahul serving as a backup. It is believed that Samson’s absence from the Vijay Hazare Trophy contributed to his exclusion from the ODI series, although he has been selected for the T20 series against England.