Rohit Sharma went the extra mile to prepare for his comeback to international cricket. He worked hard, lost major weight, and cleared Team India’s fitness tests with huge margins. But just before the Australia tour, the BCCI took an unexpected decision dropping Rohit as India’s ODI captain and promoting 26-year-old Shubman Gill as his replacement.
At 38, losing captaincy at this point in his career is a bitter pill to swallow. He guided India to a Champions Trophy crown in his final game as ODI captain, Rohit now has no more special treatment than any other player and that is judged purely on performance and form. If he fails, he stands to be dropped, considering the 2027 World Cup.
Ex-India batter Manoj Tiwary didn’t mince words in his criticism of the decision. He publicly asked Rohit to think about retiring from ODIs, implying that the way BCCI has treated him has been disrespectful and may only get worse with time. Tiwary believes it would be better for Rohit to quit on his own terms instead of risking humiliation in the future.
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Although Rohit’s captaincy tenure was comparatively brief little more than three years but it was influential. At the helm, India broke their extended ICC trophy drought and claimed two premier titles. However, with which manner his captaincy chapter concluded, many wonder if the departure was fair.
“I don’t think he (Rohit) is really in their plans anymore. Everything now depends on his performance. If I were Rohit Sharma, I would have considered retirement after this. A player like him doesn’t deserve this kind of humiliation,” Tiwary told CricTracker.
“He didn’t just win one ICC trophy – he won two. He came so close in the ODI World Cup as well, performing brilliantly both as a captain and as a player. And let’s not forget – he has five IPL trophies to his name. After all of that, to be treated this way is just not right.”
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“Personally, I don’t think he should continue after being disrespected like this. If you ask me, before they push him out, it would be better if he himself steps away – at least that way, he can leave with his dignity intact,” he added.
The move to promote Gill is not entirely surprising since he has always been regarded as a future captain. Nevertheless, the timing has surprised most people. Such early change is not unknown to Indian cricket MS Dhoni transitioned the ODI captaincy to Virat Kohli in 2017, two years before he retired in 2019. But with Rohit, the transition appears sharper and less formal.
