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Rohit Sharma told he'll be removed as captain 'some time ago'; Asia Cup confirmed Agarkar a 'better' replacement: Report
Shubman Gill was announced as India’s new ODI captain on Saturday, bringing an end to Rohit Sharma’s successful tenure in the role.
Last Saturday, BCCI’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar reaffirmed Indian cricket’s shift towards a new era, confirming a leadership change ahead of the team’s 2027 ODI World Cup build-up. The board ended Rohit Sharma’s successful stint as ODI captain, with Agarkar announcing Shubman Gill as his successor. Gill’s first assignment will be the three-match series in Australia, starting October 19.
Agarkar confirmed that Rohit was informed about the decision, but did not elaborate on the details of the conversation, leaving it entirely to speculation. However, according to a report in The Telegraph, "Rohit had been informed about the decision some time ago and not on Saturday."
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During the press conference for the announcement of the white-ball squads for the Australia tour, Agarkar was, in fact, asked how Rohit reacted to the decision when it was communicated to him, but the former India fast bowler remained silent. He added: "That is a conversation between me and Rohit, but like I said, of course, it has been communicated to him."
Agarkar, however, admitted that it was indeed a difficult call to move on from Rohit, given his stellar captaincy record in white-ball cricket. He led India to 42 wins in 56 matches as an ODI captain, losing just one game in the format across two ICC tournaments - the 2023 World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad. But despite leading India to a Champions Trophy haul earlier this year, Agarkar reckoned the decision to remove him from captaincy was inevitable. He explained that it was a forward-looking decision and that the selectors had to give his successor enough time to prove himself as a leader in the format.
"Even if he had not won the Champions Cup, it would have been a difficult decision. Because of how good he has been for India. But you have got to sometimes look at what's coming forward, where you stand as a team and eventually look at what's in the best interest of the team. Whether it's now or maybe six months later. Those are the calls that I suppose we have to put in place to make. Like I said, it's tough with one-day cricket at this point. Because if you are going to make that call, you want to try to make it reasonably early and give the other person enough time to gain confidence in leading another format. So, that was the idea. But it's always tough. Someone who has been very successful, you have to make that decision," he said.
Has India already found a replacement for Rohit Sharma in ODIs?
The decision-makers are also reportedly unsure about Rohit's longevity in the format. The report added that not many reckon he can "perform at his best after more than seven months of hiatus from competitive cricket." He was last seen in action during the IPL earlier this year. In fact, despite being selected for the Australian tour, he is currently not part of the scheme for the 2027 World Cup. The impending ODI leg Down Under is merely a 'perform or perish' series for the 38-year-old.
The report revealed that while Gill's performance as a Test captain in England earlier in the summer gave the selectors the confidence to make the announcement on ODI leadership, the recent Asia Cup tournament also assured India have a "better" replacement ready to take over Rohit's batting role at the top of the order in the 50-over format.
“Abhishek has been amazing in the six-over Powerplay in T20s. Imagine if he gets 10 and survives through that phase! He can better Rohit and give the innings a head start,” said someone in the know of things.
Abhishek Sharma was named the Player of the Tournament in the Asia Cup, after scoring 314 runs in seven innings. The performance even saw him being handed a call-up for India A's one-day matches against Australia A at home. While it was earlier much speculated that the move confirmed his maiden ODI call-up for the Australia tour, the selectors did not name him for the squad which was announced on Saturday.
