Ahead of India's tour of Australia later in October, Rohit Sharma has been replaced as the captain by Shubman Gill, who will lead the ODI team after already assuming the responsibility in Tests earlier this year.
This change in captaincy and T20I and Test retirements have now started raising doubts around Sharma's place in the side, considering he would be 40 at the World Cup 2027 in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
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While he has been a consistent performer in ODIs, coach Gautam Gambhir's harsh criticizm on the opener from 2023 has resurfaced, as fans hold him responsible for the change in India's power dynamics.
Here's what Gambhir said about Rohit Sharma's form in 2023.
When Gautam Gambhir shared his thoughts on Rohit Sharma's form in 2023
The comments re-emerging are from mid-January 2023, when Sharma was going through a small slump in his ODI form, having scored his last century on January 19, 2020, in Bengaluru against Australia.
Since January 2020 to January 2023, Sharma had scored 652 runs in 17 innings at an average of 43.46 and a strike rate of 100.92 for his four fifties and a solitary century.
Pointing out to the criticizm that Virat Kohli had faced for this long wait for the 71st international century from 2019 to 2022, Gambhir felt Sharma should also be held accountable in a similar way.
READ MORE: What did Rohit Sharma say about playing the 2027 ODI World Cup?
"I think we should talk to him in the same space like we used to when Virat didn't get a 100 in last three and a half years. So we should be equally hard on Rohit Sharma because 50 innings in international cricket is quite a lot," said Gambhir.
"It's not you didn't get a 100 in one or two series, and that is one thing that is missing in Rohit's game from the last World Cup. He used to get those big 100s. This time, he's looking in good form, he's hitting the ball well, but he has to convert.
He further pointed out how Kohli had found his rhythm back late in 2022, and asked the need of Rohit to do the same by the time the World Cup came, where he would be among India's key factors to succeed.
How did Rohit Sharma perform after Gambhir's criticizm?
Following Gambhir's comments, Sharma led India in the World Cup with an unprecedented attacking style. He also scored a century against New Zealand a week after Gambhir asked him to perform.
He went on to guide India to the World Cup final as the tournament's second-highest scorer 597 runs at an average of 54.27 and a strike rate of 125.94 with a century in the competition. His latest century has come in Cuttack against England ahead of the triumphant ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Below is his ODI record after Gambhir's comments:
| Innings | Runs | Highest | Avg/SR | 50/100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | 1572 | 131 | 49.12/118.64 | 11/3 |
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