MUMBAI: Just days after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a major overhaul in the one-day international leadership, veteran opener Rohit Sharma has offered his first comments on the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia.
Rohit, who led India to the Champions Trophy title earlier this year, was replaced as India’s ODI captain by young sensation Shubman Gill, with Shreyas Iyer named as the vice-captain. While included in the 17-man squad, Rohit and fellow senior player Virat Kohli were notably left out of any leadership roles—a decision that sent ripples of shock through the cricketing community.
Speaking on the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai, Rohit maintained a characteristically composed stance, focusing his excitement on the upcoming challenge Down Under rather than the change in command.
“I love playing against Australia, love going there, people in Australia love cricket a lot,” Rohit stated, expressing his passion for playing in the country.
The BCCI’s decision came despite Rohit’s recent success as captain. However, chief selector Ajit Agarkar later confirmed that the leadership change had been communicated to Rohit. Agarkar also hinted at the difficulty of maintaining multiple captains across formats, noting the reduced number of ODIs being played currently.
When pressed on the possibility of both Rohit and Kohli featuring in the 2027 ODI World Cup, Agarkar kept his options open, saying, “As far as the 2027 (ODI) World Cup is concerned, I don’t think we need to talk about it today, obviously with the captaincy change that’s generally the thought.”
With the new-look squad set to travel to Australia, all eyes will be on how the team adapts to the leadership of Shubman Gill and the roles the two stalwarts, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, will play in setting the foundation for the road ahead. The series is scheduled to begin later this month in Perth.
