Every fan was eagerly awaiting the India ODI squad against Australia. As they would see Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli back in the ODI format, as both players now just play one format. Surely, there is one surprise that was not expected from the selectors this early. It was Rohit Sharma’s exit from the ODI format captaincy. Now the question is, Rohit Sharma’s ODI World Cup Dream to be incomplete after his removal from the ODI captain role?
Rohit Sharma, during his tenure, was the captain for India in the ODI format for 56 matches. In the 56 matches, he won 42 and lost 12. One game was tied, whereas one match had no result. He has a winning percentage of 75% in the ODI format, which is the highest by any captain. In the ODI format, India has won two Asia Cups and one ICC Champions Trophy under Rohit’s captaincy. He almost won the 2023 World Cup but missed by just one match.
Rohit Sharma’s ODI World Cup Dream to be incomplete after removal from the ODI captain role
Just recently, Shubman Gill was made the Test captain of the Indian team before the England tour. It was clear that in a short time, the Indian selectors would want to make Gill the captain in all formats. The reason Ajit Agarkar gave was that it was practically impossible to have three different captains. He also mentioned Rohit Sharma had already been informed of this decision earlier.
A couple of things, really. Firstly, it’s practically impossible to have three different captains for three formats, just in terms of planning. Obviously, at some stage, you have to start looking at where the next World Cup will be; it’s also a format that is played the least now. So you don’t get that many games to actually give the next guy, or if there is going to be another guy, that much time to prepare himself or plan
One thing is for sure, that the selectors are looking at the ICC World Cup 2027, and Rohit might not be in the plans as a captain. The future is what the selectors are planning for. It also indicates that both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma may not have a fixed place in the team for the World Cup 2027. Everything will depend on their form. It will be great for Gill to have Virat and Rohit with him to guide the young captain.
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Hardik Pandya misses out due to an injury. Abhishek Sharma, after the great Asia Cup 2025, where he won the player of the tournament award, was most likely to be in the team. The selectors have not ignored Yashasvi Jaiswal, as there was no place for Abhishek. Eventually, the selectors also mentioned Tilak Varma is close to the ODI team. Finally, Shreyas Iyer is back, and he will be the vice-captain for the Indian Team.
