Last Updated:
Atul Wassan lauds India’s ODI leadership shift to Shubman Gill, highlighting Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s new roles ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
Rohit Sharma was sacked as India’s ODI captain
Former medium-pacer Atul Wassan has said that handing over India’s ODI captaincy to Shubman Gill is the best decision that could be made, adding that Rohit Sharma wouldn’t even have fought for his captaincy position because he and Virat Kohli have gone beyond those aspirations.
On Saturday, October 4, Indian selectors relieved Rohit of ODI leadership, handing the role to young Test captain Gill with an eye on the 2027 World Cup.
The decisive move by Ajit Agarkar’s selection panel marked a generational shift, with Rohit and Kohli, retired from Tests and T20Is, unlikely to play a major role in India’s plans for the 2027 World Cup in South Africa.
“There could not be a better decision in Indian cricket than handing the captaincy to Gill. He is a player who competes across all three formats and he has already shown his leadership skills on previous tours,” Wassan said while speaking to ANI.
“With legends like Rohit and Kohli in the side, it is a great opportunity for them to play under a capable young captain and for the team to benefit from their experience. Rohit would never have even said that I want to remain the captain,” Wassan added.
The decision followed Gill’s dominant captaincy as India crushed the West Indies by an innings and 140 runs, taking a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series, his first home series as skipper.
Ahmedabad holds special meaning for Gill, who first led the Gujarat Titans in the city in the Indian Premier League. Looking ahead, he has already charted his roadmap toward the 2027 World Cup.
Under Rohit’s leadership, India enjoyed a 10-match winning streak during the 2023 home ODI World Cup before falling short in the final against Australia. Since then, the Men in Blue have lost just once in 12 ODIs, against South Africa and clinched the Champions Trophy earlier this year with a five-match winning streak.
October 05, 2025, 08:14 IST
Read More
