Former Control Board (BCCI) selector Saba Karim for cricket in India has exploded Ajit Agarkar to dismiss Rohit Sharma as the ODI match of the India National Cricket Team.
Saba Karim said that the decision taken by the selectors was “very sudden” and there was absolutely no need to remove Rohit Sharma from the leadership and bring Shubman Gill to the rudder in ODI cricket.
This has been a very surprising and shocking decision – Saba Karim
The T20 World Cup and ICC Champion Trophy winning captain Rohit Sharma has been brutally dismissed as India’s ODI captain before the Australia tour.
Rohit Sharma has already retired from T20i and Test cricket and has said goodbye to both formats when he was still the captain of the side. After retiring from two formats, Rohit set his eyes to enhance his one -day career, and as a captain, he must have given him some privileges.
However, Ajit Agkar & Company snatched away the privilege away from Rohit Sharma as the selectors and team management form a team for the ICC Men Cricket World Cup 2027.
A young captain, Shubman Gill, has been selected to lead the side as Agarkar said he needs at least a few years to settle in the role before the World Cup.
Although Rohit is no longer an ODI captain, he remains as a player, and allegedly, his performance will decide how long the selection committee is ready to stay with him, waiting in wings with the choice of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhishek Sharma.
Meanwhile, speaking on Kadak, Saba Karim said that he was absolutely surprised by the way Rohit Sharma was dismissed. He said:
“I think this is a very sudden decision and there was no need for this at all. He (Rohit Sharma) is a winning captain who has inspired you to back-to-back trophies, and you have bid farewell to him in this way. It is a very surprising and shocking decision for me. There was no time still no needed.”
It is not like Rohit Sharma suddenly forgot how the captain is – Saba Karim
Saba Karim further said that Rohit Sharma played a big role in forming a champion team, and he is still a great captain and batsman. He said:
“The World Cup is in 2027, and he had already informed that he would play only one format. They have made this team so brilliantly, the team that won the Champions Trophy, before the T20 title, and the way the team is currently performing in T20, Rohit Sharma has played a big role in making it.
“It is not that he suddenly forgot how to captain or he does not know how to lead in this format. Nor is he scored a run in this format.
Also Read: Ab deilliers takes the cruelty of Ajit Agarkar to dismiss Rohit Sharma
I believe that separate captains are still needed for different forms -Saba Karim
Shubman Gill is soon in queue to become India’s all-format captain as he is already in ODI and Test cricket and is serving as Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy in T20Is. According to reports, Suryakumar Yadav will be dismissed as T20I captain after ICC Mains T20 World Cup 2026.
However, Saba Karim is not on the same page as the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar. They feel that a captain is flawed for the principle of all formats, and India needs separate scappers. He said:
“I think there are some instructions that India does not want to do a separate captain for the three formats. I believe that his end can also be written (speaking about Surya’s possible removal as T20I captain), maybe after the World Cup. Because these dynamics, I feel that team management and selectors feel that it is difficult to choose.
“I don’t agree with that perspective. I believe that different formats still require different captains, or white-balls and red-balls are at least different captains for cricket. There is no need to do any extra work because both white-ball and red-ball teams have different views, approaches and preparations.”