Legendary spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has made a huge statement on India skipper Shubman Gill ahead of the second ODI against the West Indies on September 30. The host nation won the series opener by 8 wickets, with Virat Kohli and Gill scoring centuries.

Ashwin was not convinced with Gill’s captaincy when he was given the responsibility but lauded the young player for the way he has led the Indian National Cricket Team and the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) so far.

He feels Gill is getting better as a leader.

“He is getting better as a captain. There were some doubts, but we have to laud him. I am happy and pleasantly surprised that he has matured as a skipper. He was spot on as GT skipper, and he is getting positive results with India as well. It is a good quality to have,” R Ashwin said.

Ashwin called Gill a complete batter and kept him above the others. The veteran spinner is not sure about the future of ODI cricket but stated that Gill could come close to Virat Kohli in the fifty-over format if he gets enough games.

“Shubman Gill is a complete batter among the next generation of cricketers. There is a big gap between him and the rest of the players. He is that good. He will come close to Virat Kohli if he gets that many matches. Unfortunately, ODI cricket’s existence is not confirmed. One-day matches suit him a lot. ODI cricket might not take place as much as it did when Kohli started playing. It is not good,” Ashwin added.

In the IND vs WI 1st ODI, Gill scored 110 off 108 deliveries, including 13 fours and a six.

R Ashwin opines on Hardik Pandya’s injury

Ravichandran Ashwin also reacted to Hardik Pandya’s absence from cricket.

He was set to play for India A against Australia A but suffered a new injury at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, which ruled him out of the series.

“I feel sorry for him. No one knows about his hard work behind the scenes. I don’t know why he keeps getting injured. He gets ready but suffers another injury. The players need to be careful about their training despite the presence of physios. The CoE should be more accountable. These injuries shouldn’t happen,” he said.

Hardik was last seen in action for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League 2026.