Shubman Gill Wants Tri-Series, Quadrangulars Back, Opposes Cutting ODI Cricket To 40 Overs

Birmingham, Jul 13: Amid talks of ICC considering reducing ODIs to 40 overs-per-side game, India captain Shubman Gill rejected the idea suggesting the boards and the global body to organise host triangular or quadrangular series instead of bilaterals to revive the struggling format.

The 50-over-fomat of the game facing an existential crisis in the age of T20Is, and franchise-model T20 leagues. It is being reported that the ICC, in its recent Annual Conference at Edinburgh, mulled the possibility of moving towards a 40-over ODI format.

"I don't think it should be 40 overs," Gill began when the question on 50-over cricket's future was posed to him ahead of India's first ODI against England here on Tuesday. India's Test and one-day captain then advocated the case of triangular and quadrangular series, a steady feature till mid 2000s, to stoke 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 with two different teams. You're playing in 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 will be interesting to play and to watch," Gill said.

The 26-year-old then proceeded to underline the sentimental value of a 50-over World Cup, which for him was 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, it will be the 50-over World Cup," he noted.

Gill Eye on ODI World Cup 2027

After losing the T20I series 4-0 under Shreyas Iyer's captaincy, Team India now take on the English in the three match ODI series, where their batting mainstays Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, are going to be back in action.

The whole talk about the way ahead for ODIs, took Gill's attention to India's plans for the 2027 competition to be held in South Africa. "The preparation for the World Cup (2027) is very important. Our mindset is that what kind of combination and the wickets we will get in South Africa will be close to what we will play here.

"So what kind of combination we can try and which combination is good for us. So in that sense, it is a very important series (vs England) for us," 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, 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 is going to be very crucial."

The Punjab cricketer said it was important for the management to give as many opportunities as possible for young cricketers in the lead-up to the ICC showpiece. Gill, in a way, was also ruling out the element of instability in the team after constant change of personnel.

"You know, in such a series, it doesn't feel like an unsettled XI. You have to give a chance to the new players. You have to give them experience as we were talking about experience, the more pressure situations they are in and the more they do well, and 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 is 5 or 3 matches. Usually, it is 3 matches. So, playing 3 matches and playing 11 matches makes a big difference."

When asked about the injuries to players like Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana, Gill claimed it has forced the think tank to make changes in the playing 11 but insisted that it has not bred vulnerability.

"We were a bit unfortunate. Reddy got injured before the series. Harshit Rana is injured. So, you know, players like these, we wanted to play them as many matches as possible before the World Cup, so that when it is their turn, they feel settled. So, 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 will gain some valuable inputs from the series against England. "But obviously, there are some areas where we wanted our players to get more experience in such a big series, the England series or the upcoming New Zealand series. "So, if the players get more chances in this big series, they will get a better chance to perform in pressure situations," he said.