Rohit Sharma’s stint as the ODI captain of India is over officially. The 38-year-old has been succeeded by Shubman Gill, who will captain the team in the three-match ODI series against Australia beginning October 19 in Perth. With this major leadership change, the question now being raised about Rohit’s place in the format — and whether the fans have already witnessed the last of him in an ODI World Cup.
At this point, it’s evident that to be considered for a spot in the 2027 World Cup team, Rohit will need to perform consistently with the bat. Chairman of Selectors Ajit Agarkar has remained silent so far on long-term strategies and whether the likes of Rohit and Virat Kohli are still included in the plans, but all indications suggest a change of generation is on the cards.
Talking to Star Sports, ex-India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar – a close friend of Rohit reflected on the switch in captaincy. Nayar stressed that open, continuous communication between the player and leadership team is crucial. In his opinion, such switches should be more than a phone call, and he expects that Rohit has been included in detailed discussions with head coach Gautam Gambhir and the choice committee.
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“For me, there’s only one thing. Look, as long as that discussion happened with him, as long as he was on the same page, if he also said, ‘Yes, we have to look forward, we want to give Shubman Gill a chance, and I’ll be there in that dressing room with you to help him through it,’ then I am all for it,” said Nayar.
Nayar further noted that Rohit has been working hard towards getting another opportunity at World Cup victory, particularly after guiding India to the final of 2023, where they were defeated by Australia. Considering that Rohit and Kohli are now only exclusively interested in one format, sustaining top fitness will be important if they are to play in subsequent white-ball campaigns.
“I think it’s a great decision because you’ve kept the captain (Rohit) in the loop. You’ve given him that responsibility — ‘help us take this team forward like you did till now.’ I feel he deserves that much. And that’s a question only he can answer, because for me, that’s the only thing. Apart from that, any decision you take is not wrong. Shubman Gill, we all knew someday he was going to be captain, and he should be, because he’s that kind of player,” he added.
“For me, there’s just one thing: if you’re going to do it, then do it right. If you’re going to have this communication, then — I always believe — communication takes time. It’s not a phone call. You sit together and talk it through,” said Nayar.
“When he was working hard, his preparation was to reach the 2027 ODI World Cup and do India proud, which they couldn’t in India. I just hope that communication went well and Rohit is on the same page as the selectors and the Indian team management,” he added.
While the team progresses into a new leadership team, led by Shubman Gill, it is unclear where the senior pair of Rohit and Kohli are in India’s developing schemes for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
