'Best white-ball players, won't be shy in taking suggestions': Shubman Gill on Ro-Ko ahead of 1st ODI against Australia

Indian skipper Shubman Gill on Saturday hailed the experience and skills of veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, calling them "probably the best white-ball players in the world" ahead of the first ODI against Australia in Perth.

The first ODI between India and Australia will take place on Sunday in Perth at the Optus Stadium. As India prepares for a high-stakes ODI series against Australia, all eyes naturally turn to two of modern cricket's biggest icons, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

This series marks the return of Ro-Ko, two Indian heavyweights who will be seen in action for the first time in the Indian jersey since the ICC Champions Trophy Final earlier this year.


"Yes, definitely the kind of skills and experience they bring to the team is massive, and they are probably the best white ball players in the world, " Shubman Gill told the media.

Gill expressed honour in leading Rohit and Virat, citing their hunger and gameplay as inspirations for him. He emphasised his willingness to seek their guidance in challenging situations during the Australia series.

"These are the kind of players I used to idolize when i was a kid. The kind of game they used to play, the hunger they had that inspired me, it's a big honour for me to lead such legends of the game, learn from them. I won't be shy in taking any suggestions in difficult situations from them during the series, " he said.

This will be Gill's first assignment as ODI skipper after replacing Rohit Sharma. India is touring Australia for three ODIs and five T20Is.

The series will commence with the 50-Over fixtures on Sunday, and the second and third ODIs will be played on October 23 and 25. The five T20Is will be played from October 29 to November 8.

For Gill, the leadership duties have come thick and fast since May. After Rohit called it a day in Test format with a brief message, the 26-year-old was tasked to lead India for a gruelling five-match Test tour of England, which ended in a 2-2 draw. He walked the talk, piled up a record-shattering 754 runs at 75.40, with a career-best 269, as the series concluded level on 2-2.

Indian squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal.