Sourav Ganguly, a former Indian captain, has supported the choice to give Shubman Gill the ODI captaincy, describing it as a “fair move.” He went on to say that Rohit Sharma, the Champions Trophy and T20 World Cup winner, was probably consulted before being removed as ODI captain.
India drew 2-2 with England in Shubman Gill first series as Test captain. With the three-match series against Australia as his first task, the 26-year-old will now lead the ODI team. His deputy has been named Shreyas Iyer.
“I believe it was carried out with Rohit’s external input… I’m not sure what’s within. At some point, I think it’s a fair decision. You can continue developing a young leader while Rohit continues to play. Thus, in my opinion, there is nothing wrong with that,” Sourav Ganguly stated, as cited by NDTV Sports.
Starting on October 19, India will play three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in Australia. On October 29, they will commence a five-match Twenty20 International series. With an eye towards the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, when Virat Kohli would be 39 and Rohit will be over 40, the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar too seems to have taken its decision with the future in mind.
“I have no doubt that someone spoke to Rohit. It is unclear to me if this is’sacking’ or anything else. Rohit has been an excellent leader, so I’m sure it’s a conversation that both parties are having. He is the winner of the T20 World Cup for the past two years. He is the Champions Trophy winner. The problem with Rohit Sharma is not his performance. Additionally, I believe that the selectors have forgotten that he demanded that he will be 40 years old when the World Cup takes place in South Africa in two years. He doesn’t play cricket in T20. Consequently, he will not participate in the 2026 World Cup in India. In South Africa, however, he will be 40 years old by 2027. “And in sports, that’s a big number,” Sourav Ganguly remarked.
He has played for a very long time. So, I don’t think anyone knows for sure if Rohit will play when he’s forty. Therefore, I don’t believe it’s the worst choice. Everybody experiences it. Additionally, he will have to deal with this circumstance because, as you are aware, all athletes, even Roger Federer, Pedro Sampras, Rafael Nadal, and Diego Maradona, must eventually retire from competition.
Even in the future, when Shubman Gill approaches 40 and reaches 12,000–13,000 runs, there won’t be an exception.
They would need to establish themselves in domestic cricket, but age and performance would ultimately decide their destiny, according to the CAB President.
Indeed, 40 is a really old age. The amount of cricket he plays, the number of runs he scores, and his level of fitness all depend on him. Playing a single format is not simple. He would play in the IPL, yes, but at a rate of just two months each year. As previously stated, it depends on how fit Rohit and Virat continue to be and how well they perform. Ganguly stated, “They must play domestic cricket whenever they have the chance.”
Because playing cricket requires constant effort; otherwise, you lose your touch, form, and contact. It’s everything in life. You need to continue. They must participate in domestic cricket. It is just that. He went on, “They will play for India if they persevere and do well.
Shubman Gill amassed 754 runs, including four hundreds, in five Test matches in England, the most of any batsman in an India-England Test series. In the 1978-79 match against the West Indies, he beat Sunil Gavaskar’s record of 732 runs as captain and eclipsed Graham Gooch’s 1990 total of 752 runs.
“It is too early. He was excellent, in my opinion, for the England visit. The five-test series has been viewed by me. His performance as a player and as team captain has been exceptional. He has been appointed captain of the ODI team for the future because of this. A lot of promise as a leader and a player,” Ganguly said.
India
