Indian captain Shubman Gill admitted he has “big shoes to fill in” as the Men in Blue begins new era in the 50-over format against Australia, the first of which starts on October 19 in Perth. After taking over the Test captaincy from Rohit Sharma, the BCCI gave Gill another responsibility when the 25-year-old was announced as the new ODI captain last month.

The India vs Australia ODI series marks the beginning of the preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup for both the teams. The series also marks the return of former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who are making a comeback into the Indian dressing room after seven months.

Speaking for the first time since taking over the ODI captaincy from Rohit Gill admitted the challenge will be tough and wont be shying away from seeking their help during the series. “These are the kind of players I used to idolise when I was growing up,” Gill told reporters in Perth on Saturday.

“The kind of hunger that they had used to inspire me. It is a big honour for me to be able to lead such legends of the game. I am sure there would be so many moments in this series where I would be able to learn from them.

“If I get in a difficult position, I wouldn’t shy away from taking advice from them. Big shoes for me to fill in to carry forward the legacy of MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. So many experiences and so many learnings I have had,” added Gill.

Had conversations with Virat & Rohit: Gill

Gill also revealed that he already had numerous conversations with both Rohit an Kohli on how to take the Indian team forward. “I have had numerous conversations with both Rohit and Virat on how to take the team forward and what kind of culture they want for the Indian cricket team. I think those learnings and experiences would help our team going forward,” added the young Indian skipper.

Having led Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the past two seasons, Gill knows what it takes to captain a side at the top level. In his first series as Indian captain, Gill led India to a 2-2 draw in England in Tests, before winning his first series in the longest format with a 2-0 series whitewash over West Indies at home recently.

It must be noted that Gill didn’t let the captaincy pressure affect his batting with five hundreds in his seven matches as Indian captain. Post ODI series, India will play five T20Is Down Under as a build-up to the T20 World Cup 2026.