'Rohit Sharma gave India 16 years but...': Shubman Gill's captaincy role sparks questions

Rohit Sharma (PTI Photo)

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made a surprising announcement on October 4th regarding the ODI team. This decision marked the end ofRohit Sharma‘s captaincy era, who was India’s second most successful captain afterMS Dhoni, withShubman Gilltaking over as the new captain.Former cricketerMohammad Kaifexpressed his views about the BCCI’s decision through a video. In the video, he highlighted Rohit Sharma’s accomplishments and qualities.

Rohit Sharma removed as India ODI captain, a glorious era comes to an end

“Rohit Sharma gave India 16 years, but we couldn’t give him even one. As captain, he has won 15 out of 16 ICC events, losing one match, the 2023 final. The Champions Trophy was the last match of 2025, he was the player of the match and won the trophy. He will also win the 2024 World Cup,” Kaif said in a video posted on X.Click here to watch the full video“Rohit showed magnanimity and retired after winning the World Cup because now, to give a chance to new players, he himself stepped down. He stayed out of the limelight for a few days, and then some players came and his captaincy was gone. “There is an example in India that as long as your time is there, you should continue it, but Rohit did not do that. He taught many players everything, but we removed him from the captaincy of the 2027 World Cup for one year.We could not give him one year.”He further added, “The captain who won us two ICC trophies in eight months will now be replaced by Shubman Gill. Gill is young and new and can be a good captain, but why rush into everything? Why give a flying start? His time will come, but right now it was Rohit’s time.”The decision has sparked discussions about the timing of the leadership transition inIndian cricket. This change comes after Rohit’s successful stint as captain, during which he led India to multiple victories in ICC events.Rohit had previously announced his retirement from the T20 format following India’s victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup. He later retired from Test cricket during IPL 2025, shortly beforeVirat Kohli’s retirement announcement, after a challenging performance in the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy.Questions now arise about Rohit’s future in ODI cricket. With the loss of captaincy, his participation in the 2027 World Cup remains uncertain.

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