Shubman Gill got vice-captaincy at right time: Suresh Raina backs Champions Trophy call

Champions Trophy 2025: Former cricketer Suresh Raina backed the selectors' decision to hand Shubman Gill the vice-captaincy of the ODI team. Gill will be Rohit Sharma's deputy in the presttigious 8-team tournament, starting February 19.

In Short

• Shubman Gill was appointed as the vice-captain of the ODI team
• Gill will be Rohit Sharma's deputy in the Champions Trophy
• The 25-year-old was appointed India's T20I vice-captain last year

Former India batter Suresh Raina has backed the selectors' decision to appoint Shubman Gill as the vice-captain of the ODI team. The young Punjab opener was named as Rohit Sharma's deputy for the upcoming ODI series against England and the Champions Trophy, starting on 19 February.

Questions have been raised about the selectors' choice to hand over this responsibility to Shubman Gill, especially at a time when he has been struggling with form and consistency with the bat. Gill was even dropped for a Test during India's Border-Gavaskar Trophy defeat last month, finishing the series with just 93 runs at an average of 18 across three Tests.

While Gill undoubtedly merits a place in the squad due to his outstanding performances in ODIs in 2023, when he scored 1,584 runs in the calendar year, the decision to name him vice-captain at 25 has raised a few eyebrows.

"Gill got the vice-captaincy at the right time. He is the next superstar of Indian cricket and has done remarkably well in ODIs. Rohit knows how to mentor a youngster and understands the value Shubman will bring in," Raina said while speaking on Star Sports Press Room on Sunday.

Gill failed to impress in his maiden captaincy stint in the Indian Premier League last year. The Gujarat Titans star managed 426 runs with the bat, a year after scoring 890 runs in a season.

However, it is evident that the team management and the selectors are looking ahead, identifying potential future captains.

WHY NO SURYAKUMAR? RAINA

Meanwhile, Suresh Raina also expressed surprise at Suryakumar Yadav's exclusion from the Champions Trophy squad, stating that the Mumbai Indians star would have added an X-factor to the batting unit.

"Surya was an integral part of the World Cup squad. He is a 360-degree player who can score at nine runs per over at any stage of the game. He can dominate the opposition and bats in a unique way," Raina said.

"If Surya was included, there would have been an X-factor; he will be missed. The responsibility will now fall on the top three, who are not in form. Surya is someone who can bat in any position."

Suryakumar featured in India's ODI World Cup squad in 2023 but has not been selected in the 50-over format since. Despite his elevation as T20I captain, the senior campaigner has not managed to find consistent success in the 50-over format. Suryakumar played five matches in the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy for Mumbai, managing just 38 runs.