There has been a massive uproar since Shubman Gill replaced Rohit Sharma as the captain of Team India in ODIs. Fans and experts have questioned BCCI’s decision. There is significant consensus that Rohit Sharma deserved a better farewell from captaincy.
Statistically, Rohit Sharma is India’s most successful ODI captain. He led India in 56 matches, winning 42, losing 12, with one tie and one no result. Sharma has a win rate of around 75%.
His record surpasses that of Virat Kohli (68%) and MS Dhoni (55%). Globally, among captains with 50 or more ODIs, he is second only to legendary West Indian captain Clive Lloyd.
Rohit guided India to victories in the 2018 and 2023 Asia Cups and the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. He has a stunning 88.8% success rate in multi-national tournaments. The only feat he hasn’t achieved is an ODI World Cup.
Mohammad Kaif has debated BCCI’s “hurry to gift everything” to Shubman Gill. Former Team India wicketkeeper Saba Karim has also questioned the move.
“Why is Rohit Sharma in the team! You clearly do not see him play in the 2027 World Cup. Your intention is clear because he is not the captain. Why to keep such a player in team?” said a frustrated Saba Karim on the YouTube channel Kadak
Fingers point at Gautam Gambhir. Many fans accuse him of running an autocratic administration. In May, both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from Test cricket. Fans suspected Gambhir had a major role to play in that.
Gautam Gambhir-Ajit Agarkar’s collective effort
Now, BCCI sources have revealed to The Times of India that Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar also plays a key role in stripping Rohit Sharma of captaincy.
“It has been a collective effort by Gambhir and Agarkar. They understand that it will be tough for both Rohit and Kohli to be at their peak after two years, given that they are in their late 30s,” said the source.
“They didn’t want to be caught off guard if suddenly Rohit or Kohli’s form dipped. It would have created chaos in the leadership group…The team won the Champions Trophy and two Tests in England even without Bumrah. It has given the confidence that no one is indispensable in the current scenario,” the source added.
“A player of Rohit’s stature in a leadership role would have meant he would get to drive his philosophy in the dressing room. But, with him playing only in ODIs, a format which is played the least, it could have disturbed the team culture, TOI quoted the BCCI insider as saying.
