Shubman Gill Rejects 40-Over ODI Format Idea, Instead Sends Boards 1 Smart Idea To Spike Interest

India skipper Shubman Gill on Monday strongly rejected the idea of reducing ODIs to 40 overs and mooted the organisation of more triangular or quadrangular series to revive the struggling format. ODIs are facing an existential crisis amid the rise of T20Is and franchise cricket. There have also been discussions about the possibility of the ICC moving towards a 40-over ODI format during its recent Annual Conference in Edinburgh.

"I don't think it should be 40 overs,” Gill began when a question on the future of 50-over cricket was posed to him ahead of India's first ODI against England here on Tuesday.

India's Test and ODI captain then advocated the case for triangular and quadrangular series, a regular feature until the mid-2000s, to boost public interest.

“We used to play a lot of triangular series and it was a lot of fun to watch. We used to play in Australia — India, Australia, Sri Lanka. You're not playing with just one team. You're playing against two different teams. You're playing at different venues.

“So, I think, if we want to make this (ODI) format interesting, instead of having bilateral series, we should have triangular series, maybe quadrangular series. Let's do something like that, so that it will be interesting to play and watch,” Gill said.

The 26-year-old then proceeded to underline the sentimental value of a 50-over World Cup, which, for him, remains the real deal.

“I grew up watching 50-over cricket a lot and it remained a very integral part of my childhood. Whenever I think of the World Cup, the first thing that comes to my mind is the 50-over World Cup. So, in that sense, the most prestigious World Cup for me, if you want to win one, would be the 50-over World Cup,” he noted.

Eyes on the 2027 World Cup

The discussion about the future of ODIs also turned Gill's attention to India's plans for the 2027 World Cup in South Africa.

“The preparation for the World Cup (2027) is very important. Our mindset is about what kind of combination we can try, and the wickets we will get in South Africa will be similar to what we will play on here.

“So, understanding which combination is best for us makes this a very important series (vs England),” he said.

Gill was also looking to expand his captaincy experience in the three-match series against the Three Lions.

“Definitely, it (learning as a skipper) is very important. I think any series that we play from here on, as a group and as a captain, is going to be very important for me.

“All the learnings that I am going to have and all the experience that I am going to have leading up to the World Cup are going to be very crucial.”

The Punjab cricketer said it was important for the management to give as many opportunities as possible to young cricketers in the lead-up to the ICC showpiece.

Gill, in a way, also ruled out the notion of instability in the team despite constant changes in personnel.

“You know, in such a series, it doesn't feel like an unsettled XI. You have to give opportunities to new players. You have to give them experience. As we were talking about experience, the more pressure situations they are exposed to and the better they perform, the better it will be for us before the World Cup,” he added.

“You play 11 matches in the World Cup and, usually, the bilateral series we play consists of either five or three matches. Most often, it is three matches. So, playing three matches and playing 11 matches makes a big difference.”

Gill said injuries to players like Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana forced the think tank to make changes to the playing XI, but insisted that it has not created any vulnerability.

“We were a bit unfortunate. Reddy got injured before the series. Harshit Rana is injured. So, players like these, we wanted to play as many matches as possible before the World Cup so that, when their turn comes, they feel settled. In that sense, we felt a bit unfortunate. So, we had to play a different combination. But it is not that it is an unsettled XI.”

Gill hoped that players would gain some valuable experience from the series against England.

“But obviously, there are some areas where we wanted our players to get more experience in big series such as the England series or the upcoming New Zealand series.

“So, if the players get more opportunities in these big series, they will have a better chance of performing in pressure situations,” he said..

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