"Even Rohit Sharma Agrees": Sunil Gavaskar Hints At 'Bad News' After ODI Captaincy Change

The captaincy change in the Indian ODI team brings an end to the Rohit Sharma era at the helm. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee chief, Ajit Agarkar, confirmed the promotion of Shubman Gill to the captain's role, even though Rohit remains an active player in the format. However, Indian cricket great Sunil Gavaskar did not find the transition unnerving, saying the BCCI had to take the step in order to prepare for the 2027 World Cup. In fact, Gavaskar said that even Rohit agrees with the decision.

India do not have many ODIs scheduled before the 2027 World Cup. With Rohit no longer an active player in T20Is and Tests, sustaining his place in the ODI XI becomes difficult, especially from the perspective of match fitness.

"We don't know whether Rohit Sharma will be ready for the 2027 World Cup. He only plays ODIs now, and if we see the international calendar, the Indian team is not playing too many ODIs. Bilateral tours mostly include Tests and T20Is. If he only plays five to seven ODIs in a year, he won't get the kind of practice that you need for a big tournament like a World Cup. If his place in the team is not certain, the decision to prepare Shubman Gill was taken," Gavaskar told Sports Tak.

"The team comes first. Personally, he has done a lot - won us the Champions Trophy and the T20 World Cup before that. There are no two ways about his captaincy. But even he (Rohit Sharma) agrees with this decision because if you need to think two years ahead, then a young captain needs to be prepared. And this is the thought process the selection committee went ahead with."

Gavaskar, during the conversation, also hinted that 'more bad news' could be in store in the coming months as the Indian team management looks to solidify its plans in the 50-over format.

"Of course. If you are non-committal, if you can't say whether you'll be ready for the next two years, be ready [for more bad news]. Even they are aware that if they only have to play ODIs, there are rarely any. For that, they need to practise more and play something like the Vijay Hazare Trophy. This is possibly why they have taken that stance."

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Rohit Sharma Virat Kohli Sunil Gavaskar Cricket