It was a shocker that no one saw coming. Just before India’s white-ball tour of Australia, the BCCI announced that Shubman Gill would take over as the new ODI captain, replacing Rohit Sharma.
The decision came only months after Rohit led India to a historic Champions Trophy title.
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Former India captain Kris Srikkanth raised questions, wondering whether Rohit was even informed about the move before it became public.
Did the selectors speak to Rohit Sharma before the decision?
On his YouTube channel, Srikkanth didn’t mince words. He said that if the management had already decided to make a leadership change, Rohit deserved to be told beforehand.
The sudden removal without proper communication, according to Srikkanth, felt “unfair and disrespectful.”
"They should have told him beforehand in that case. But whether they have or not is unknown. They already prepared him for this by indirectly stripping him of captaincy and a spot in Tests. But it is unfair on Rohit Sharma in some ways even if they are building towards the 2027 ODI World Cup. Not fair, absolutely not fair," said Srikkanth.
Rohit had already stepped away from Tests and T20Is earlier this year, and his last outing came in the Champions Trophy final where he guided India to victory.
ODI World Cup 2027 was part of Rohit’s unfinished dream: Srikkanth
Srikkanth added that Rohit likely had his eyes set on one last big goal- leading India in the 2027 World Cup.
More: India announces ODI squad for Australia: Gill to lead as Rohit, Kohli return with Bumrah rested
After missing out on the 2023 crown, this would have been his final chance to lift the ODI trophy as captain before retirement.
"He has won you the T20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy. Probably his dream was to win the ODI World Cup because he missed it last time in 2023. So he would have planned to win the 2027 World Cup as captain and then retire. But they've finished those hopes, bad luck to Rohit," said Srikkanth.
However, with Shubman Gill now officially taking over, that dream appears to have ended abruptly.
Rohit’s legacy as ODI captain remains unmatched
Regardless of the change, Rohit Sharma’s record as ODI captain remains one of the best in Indian history.
He led India in 56 matches, winning 42 of them with an impressive win rate of around 75 percent, the highest for any Indian captain with at least ten games in charge.
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