Days after Shubman Gill was named India’s new ODI captain, Indian batting legend Rohit Sharma‘s old remark from the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy reappeared. Rohit underlined in the widely shared video that young athletes must merit the opportunity to lead India.
The cricket player was questioned about who would lead India in the future during an interview conducted on Day 2 of the Sydney Test match against Australia in early 2025. The former captain emphasised that the younger players must earn the spot and comprehend the significance of the game, but he refrained from mentioning specific individuals. He discussed the captaincy transition and gave Jasprit Bumrah credit for it.
It’s really hard to respond to this. There are many good men. However, I have a message for the young boys: “First, recognise the significance of cricket.” Recognise the seriousness of playing cricket internationally. I am aware that they ought to be held accountable. Let them earn it, though. For the next three years, let them play some tough cricket. Give it to them. As you can see, Jasprit Bumrah has replaced Virat Kohli, who was preceded by MS Dhoni. Everyone deserved it.
It wasn’t handed to anyone easily. He understands the game well. He is classy in the fact that his bowling style serves as an example for others. He’s classy. He consistently keeps the team ahead. For the past eleven years, I have seen him. His graph has increased. He’s changed a lot. He has stepped up his game and is planning. The whole world is watching bowling. He has improved greatly. Star Sports quoted Rohit Sharma.
Following his captaincy snub, Rohit makes his first public appearance.
India won the 2024 T20 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy under his supervision, and they advanced to the 2023 ODI World Cup final. However, citing the necessity to train a younger captain for the 2027 ODI World Cup, the BCCI and head selector Ajit Agarkar decided to delegate the responsibilities.
Although he declined to provide further details, Agarkar acknowledged that Rohit was notified of the decision. Rohit recently made his first public appearance since the captaincy change at the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai, where he discussed the next ODI series against Australia.
“Look, I adore that squad, I had a great time playing with them, and we all spent many years on that adventure. One or two years of labour isn’t enough. It has to do with starting a job after many years. We had numerous chances to win that trophy, but we were unable to cross the finish line. Everyone agreed at that point that we needed to take a different approach. There’s always the idea of doing it, followed by the actual action. One or two players cannot complete it. People in Australia are huge cricket fans, so I love going there and playing against them,” Rohit remarked.
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