It came as a surprise to many, but none more than Harbhajan Singh. The former Indian off-spinner said he was “shocked” to hear that Rohit Sharma would no longer lead India in ODIs.
The change came soon after Rohit guided India to the ICC Champions Trophy title earlier this year, making the decision even harder for fans to digest.
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Why did Harbhajan Singh react so strongly to Rohit Sharma’s removal?
Harbhajan, speaking on JioHotstar, said that he found it difficult to understand the selectors’ call.
According to him, if Rohit was still being picked in the team, he should have remained captain, especially after bringing home an ICC trophy.
He felt Rohit had earned the right to lead India in the upcoming ODI series in Australia.
"It is a little bit shocking news for me to see Rohit not being captain. And once he was selected, I thought, if at all he was going to Australia, he would have been captain again. Rohit just won the Champions Trophy and other tournaments before as well as ODI captain," said Harbhajan.
"I think he should have given at least another chance. If you want to think of the 2027 World Cup, that’s still very far for Shubman. Probably, take the team forward after maybe six months or eight months or a year. There’s still a lot of time for that. I’m a bit disappointed for Rohit not being the captain,” he added.
The veteran spinner congratulated Shubman Gill, who has now been handed the ODI captaincy, but added that the transition could have waited.
Harbhajan felt that there was no rush to bring in a new captain with the next ODI World Cup still years away.
“First of all, congratulations to Shubman Gill. Obviously, he has been leading the team well in Test cricket and now, he has been given another responsibility to lead the team in ODIs as well. I am happy for him that he has got this opportunity to lead the team. But things could have been delayed for a little bit longer," added Harbhajan.
As captain, Rohit has led India in 56 ODIs, winning 42 of them- a remarkable record that reflects his leadership quality and consistency.
What lies ahead for Rohit Sharma and Team India?
Even though he’s no longer the captain, Harbhajan believes Rohit will continue to be one of India’s biggest match-winners.
Harbhajan also said that Rohit and Virat Kohli will remain the backbone of Indian cricket, mentoring younger players like Gill.
"You won’t see any change in the approach of Rohit Sharma as a batter. Probably, as fearless as we have seen him, so is Virat Kohli. Two top gun players will still be playing in this format and we are all looking forward,” Harbhajan added.
The upcoming ODI series in Australia, starting October 19, will be Shubman Gill’s first full assignment as the ODI skipper, with Shreyas Iyer serving as his deputy.
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