The report states that Rohit Sharma was taken away from the ODI captaincy duties with the BCCI fearing a detrimental shift in team culture. On Saturday, Shubman Gill, who holds the Test captaincy, was bestowed with the leadership of the ODI team, supplanting Rohit ahead of the three-match series against Australia later this month. Alongside the decision to remove Rohit, BCCI’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar commented that “it was practically impossible to have three different captains across the formats.”
Nevertheless, an article in the Times of India claims that the selectors had felt Rohit was dictating matters his way, which could adversely impact the team culture.
“In the present scenario, a player of Rohit’s stature in the leadership role would have meant that he would get to drive his philosophy within the dressing room. But with him playing only in ODIs, being the least played format, it could have disturbed the team culture,” quoted the Times of India in reference to a BCCI source.
Read Also:- Why Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya Miss Out on Australia ODIs Series
The report also went on to reveal that Gambhir had kept himself in the shadows for quite some time – at least six months – after he took charge as coach, and it was only after the Test series defeats to New Zealand at home and Australia away that he started intervening in team matters.
“Gambhir had taken a back seat in Tests and ODIs in the first six months of his assignment, but the debacles against New Zealand and Australia prompted him to take charge more firmly,” the source added.
In Australia, Rohit and Kohli will play under Gill’s captaincy. Whether these two will be retained till the 2027 ODI World Cup remains to be seen, with Gambhir and Agarkar hoping not to face a situation where suddenly the form of both seniors just “dips.”
“It has been a joint initiative of Gambhir and Agarkar. They understand that it will be tough for both Rohit and Kohli to be at their peak after two years, given that they are in their late 30s. They didn’t want to be caught off guard if suddenly Rohit or Kohli’s form dipped. It would have created chaos in the leadership group,” the BCCI source.”
“The duo announcing retirement from Tests days before the selection for the England tour was a case in point. The team won the Champions Trophy and two Tests in England even without Bumrah,” continued the source.
