The legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar opened the decision to remove veteran opener Rohit Sharma as India’s ODI captain before the three -match series against Australia. Gavaskar said that the selection committee took the correct step but warned that it could begin the “more bad news”.
The selectors president Ajit Agkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir supported Shubman Gill as ODI captain keeping in mind the 2027 World Cup. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli may have limited possibilities of being limited in the tournament due to age. Rohit will be 40 and Kohli 38 when the World Cup will be hosted in Africa.
It is not known that Rohit Sharma will be ready – Sunil Gavaskar
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have retired from tests and T20I. He will only play ODI in international cricket, which will challenge the preparation of the 2027 World Cup in South Africa. Sunil Gavaskar said that Rohit would probably agree with the decision to appoint Shubman Gill as captain.
Gavaskar said that India plays very few ODIs every year, and Rohit would not get enough match practice to perform in a major tournament, which justified Gilling Gill as the future captain.
“We don’t know that Rohit Sharma will be ready for the 2027 World Cup. He only plays ODI now, and if we see the international calendar, the Indian team is not playing too much ODI,” Gavaskar told Sports Tak.
“Bilateral tourism includes most Tests and T20Is. If he plays 5-7 Odis in just one year, he will not get the kind of practice that you need a big tournament like the World Cup. If they are not fixed in the team, it was decided to prepare Shubman Gill.”
Even Rohit Sharma agrees with this decision – Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar also recalled Rohit Sharma’s previous achievements, including winning the Champions Trophy and the T20 World Cup. He said that the selection committee is focusing on preparing a young captain, Shubman Gill for the future of the team in the next two years.
“The team comes first. Personally, they have done a lot – we won the Champions Trophy and the T20 World Cup. There are no two ways about their captaincy,” Gavaskar continued.
“But even he (Rohit Sharma) agrees with the decision because if you need to think two years ago, a young captain needs to be ready. And the idea is the process that the selection moves forward with the committee.”
Be prepared for more bad news – Sunil Gavaskar
Gavaskar also said that removing Rohit as India’s ODI captain is the beginning of “more bad news” for the team. He said that players who are uncertain about their availability or preparation in the next two years have to face challenges.
“Of course. If you are a non-mandal, if you cannot say if you will be ready for the next two years, be ready [for more bad news]”Gavaskar said.
“Even they know that if they only have to play ODI, there is hardly anyone. For this, they need to practice more and play something like the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Perhaps that is why they have taken that attitude.”
India is to play at least 27 ODIs before the 2027 World Cup, in which more matches can be added. However, the team will play more T20I during this period. Rohit and Virat are also unlikely to participate in domestic cricket like Vijay Hazare Trophy.
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