India’s white-ball tour of Australia is underway, with the first ODI match today at Perth’s Optus Stadium. However, the start of the game has been far from ideal for India, as they lost their top three batters — Shubman Gill (10), Rohit Sharma (8) and Virat Kohli (0) — with just 25 runs on the board. To make matters worse, rain has arrived in Perth, putting the match on hold. India will now be feeling added pressure as they deal with overcast weather, a slow outfield, and a bouncy wicket, all of which are proving hard to tackle.
Amidst all the chaos, fans witnessed a heartwarming moment in the India dressing room during the rain break, as current skipper Shubman Gill and former captain Rohit Sharma were seen having a deep discussion in a notebook, apparently planning the game strategy under the new skipper.
Rohit, despite losing his wicket cheaply, looked very relaxed and was cheering the dressing room with his usual antics. He was also seen having a laughing chat with Kuldeep Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir while imitating Shah Rukh Khan’s iconic open-arms pose.
Gill reflects on his new role as ODI skipper before the match
Ahead of the match, Shubman Gill spoke about his new captaincy role and the responsibility that comes with it, saying it was an honour to carry forward the legacy built by his predecessors.
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“Obviously, these are big shoes for me to fill. Carrying forward the legacy that Mahi bhai, Virat bhai, and Rohit bhai have left for us is a huge responsibility,” Gill said in the pre-match press conference. “I’ve had many conversations with both Rohit bhai and Virat bhai about the kind of culture we want to establish in the team going forward.”
The young skipper added that he feels privileged to lead players he has grown up admiring. “It’s an honour to lead legends of the game and apply my learnings for the team’s benefit. I won’t hesitate to seek advice from them whenever we face challenging situations,” he remarked.
Reflecting on his leadership inspirations, Gill said, “There were several things I admired about both Rohit and Virat’s captaincy — especially how they communicated with players and gave everyone clarity about their roles. That really helped me as a player, and that’s the kind of captain I aspire to be.”
On his recent chat with Rohit Sharma while inspecting the pitch, Gill clarified, “The outside narrative might be different, but our relationship remains the same. He continues to share his experience with me, and I too go to him with questions whenever needed.”
 "Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in Perth")
