What a difference a week makes. Seven days ago, the mood in the Indian dressing room was utterly disappointing. Ireland pulled off a massive 2-0 upset on them in T20Is. Then England handed out a 4-0 hiding. People were questioning Gambhir. The batting looked absolutely brittle, and India lost its aura and also the first-place spot. Then came Edgbaston. Format changed and we saw why England are placed eighth in the format, and India are world-beaters.
It was a reminder of two things: one, ODI cricket is still where India feel most at home. And two, this team looks completely different when Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah walk back in. Now India are in Cardiff, 1-0 up, with a chance to seal the series before Lord’s. But the fact is that India dominated despite all three big ones in Rohit, Kohli and KL Rahul ending up having no real impact in the game.
Gill’s fired, will Rohit-Kohli follow?
Shubman Gill is in the peak of his powers. Thankfully for India, it has coincided with when he has become India’s captain. Since his elevation as the Test skipper, no other Indian player has more international runs than Gill’s 1863. The next best is KL Rahul with 610 fewer runs. Gill, meanwhile, has averaged 58.21, including the most (7) centuries. Take that average and SR to a whopping 70.85 and 111.21 in this period.
Clearly, there’s no stopping Gill and if there was one clear takeaway from the Edgbaston game, it was the fact that India can rely on Gill. He looked like the ODI captain India hoped he’d become. Scoring 80 off 75, totally in control. He took the chase by the scruff and didn’t let England breathe. The cramp that forced him to retire hurt, forcing that Gill doesn’t score another century. Now, Gill closes in on the number one ODI ranking spot too
But here’s the thing: India know there’s more in the tank. Rohit, Kohli and Rahul put together 17 runs between them at Edgbaston. If we didn’t have Gill, India might have lost the game. This time Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel bailed them out.
| Player | Inns | Runs | Avg | SR | 100s/50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | 24 | 1022 | 44.43 | 103.96 | 2/7 |
| Shubman Gill | 20 | 1000 | 58.82 | 96.33 | 3/6 |
| Virat Kohli | 20 | 954 | 56.11 | 97.34 | 4/5 |
| Shreyas Iyer | 20 | 687 | 36.15 | 88.30 | 0/5 |
| KL Rahul | 19 | 580 | 48.33 | 110.05 | 1/2 |
Cardiff should be the perfect place for the seniors to answer back. Because this isn’t just about England. Every ODI from here till the end of 2027 is a World Cup audition in South Africa. Rohit and Kohli are still the core of this side, but they won’t want too many quiet games in a format where you don’t get 20 chances a year anymore. Rohit, meanwhile, stands at an interesting crossroads, with the management seemingly letting him have his space.
Kohli, meanwhile, had a rare failure. Otherwise, he has been India’s best ODI batter in recent times. Since Gill has become the ODI captain, Kohli has scored the most runs in the format with 621 runs at 77.62 and at a superb SR of 106.15. He has upped his intent as well, which has bode well for the modern-day legend.
Most ODI Runs for India in England
| Player | Inns | Runs | HS | Ave | SR | 100s/50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | 28 | 1439 | 140 | 62.56 | 90.27 | 7/7 |
| Virat Kohli | 34 | 1354 | 107 | 50.14 | 91.17 | 1/12 |
| Rahul Dravid | 32 | 1238 | 145 | 45.85 | 80.65 | 2/11 |
| Shikhar Dhawan | 22 | 1142 | 125 | 60.10 | 97.60 | 4/4 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 26 | 1051 | 140* | 43.79 | 88.39 | 3/4 |
Bumrah makes this attack feel whole again
If Gill won it with the bat, Jasprit Bumrah won it with the ball. After a weird, quiet IPL 2026, he looked fresh and nasty again. With him back, England had less breathing space. It made Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar look dangerous too. The attack was balanced, not like an experiment. The only worry is Gurnoor Brar, who couldn’t finish his spell. If he’s out, Arshdeep or Prince Yadav are waiting.
Expect another belter in Cardiff. Sophia Gardens has seen 280+ chased down for fun lately. England will fancy themselves with Joe Root again holding the middle together. But India have the momentum. They have the confidence. And they”re one win away from continuing their dominance against England in the format. Gill has done his bit. Now the wait is on Rohit and Kohli to remind everyone why they’ve always loved batting in England.
Cricket
Unpopular Opinion: New ICC World Cup formats nothing but a ploy for more IND vs PAK matches
