Kohli, Rohit remain very integral part of India's ODI team: Shubman Gill

Skipper Shubman Gill underscores the vital roles of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, asserting their experience and skill are indispensable for Indias ODI team, especially as they prepare for the upcoming series against England and strategise for the 2027 ODI World Cup.IMAGE: India will bank on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to revive Indias fortunes in the three-match ODI series against England after a horror showing in the T20I series. Photograph: BCCI/XKey PointsShubman Gill said seniors Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are integral to Indias ODI team due to their experience and skill.Discussions between Gill and Kohli focused on optimal player combinations for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.The return of ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah is expected to significantly strengthen Indias bowling attack for the upcoming series.Skipper Shubman Gill on Monday asserted that star batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma remain an integral part of Indias ODI team, considering the experience and skill level of the two veterans in the 50-over format.India will bank on Kohli and Rohit to revive Indias fortunes in the three-match ODI series against England, starting in Birmingham on Tuesday.In the preceding T20I leg, India were drubbed 0-2 and 0-4 by Ireland and England respectively.I think Virat bhai and Rohit bhai -- they have been the backbone of the Indian batting lineup for the past decade and they remain a very integral part of our team, Gill said during the pre-match press conference.The experience and the skill that they bring to the team is obviously very valuable. We have seen what they have done over the past decade in different conditions, repetitively, consistently, in a number of matches, different tournaments, different occasions, he added. The Value Of Experience In CricketIMAGE: Captain Shubman Gill during Indias training session in Birmingham. Photograph: BCCI/XTo emphasise his point, Gill said experience will come handy when a team goes through a crunch situation.If there is an experienced line-up, I think you get a lot of experience in pressure situations because you have been in that situation many times and you have done good and bad.So, I think you get a sense of calmness when you are under pressure. So experience is very important in any lineup, he said.Kohli Helping Gill Plan For 2027 World CupIMAGE: The Indian players during their nets at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Photograph: BCCI/XGill said he already held a discussion with Kohli, a veteran in South African conditions, about a workable combination of players for the 50-over World Cup to be held in the Rainbow nation in 2027.We (him and Kohli) were talking (at nets) about the combination. Which combination can be the best for South Africa? Which players are there who may not be in the team right now, but can help us in the future?Which bowlers are there? Which all-rounders are there? Which spinners are there? So, we were talking about all that, he noted.Gill also hoped that the return of ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested to manage his workload after IPL 2026, will boost Indias pace attack.Bumrah is coming into the setup after a bit of time. And hopefully, he has had a good number of overs leading up to this one-day series. And hopefully, this one-day series goes well for him and hopefully we will win the series and end up on a high, he added.