“Deserves Better” – Indian Fans Erupt as Rohit Sharma Gets Sacked From Captaincy in ODIs

Veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been out of action for a long while now, with their last appearance dating back to the 2025 IPL season.

“Deserves Better” – Indian Fans Erupt as Rohit Sharma Gets Sacked From Captaincy in ODIs

Shubman Gill has been appointed as India's new ODI captain, replacing Rohit Sharma. (via News 18)

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To mark the arrival of a new era for Indian cricket, Shubman Gill was announced as the new captain of the Indian ODI team, replacing Rohit Sharma. Sharma’s sudden removal from the leadership position has left fans in a frenzy, with many exclaiming that the 38-year-old ‘deserved better’.

Months after being announced as Rohit Sharma’s successor in the longest format of the game, Shubman Gill has now taken over the captaincy responsibility in the 50-over format as well. The 26-year-old has been named the India’s new ODI captain, just ahead of the white-ball tour to Australia. Gill’s accession to the captaincy role is significant, as he now holds leadership positions across all three formats.

Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer has been named vice-captain of the ODI side that will be traveling to Australia, later this month. The announcement was made by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee at a press conference in Ahmedabad earlier today. Gill’s appointment as captain was done with an eye on the upcoming ODI World Cup in 2027, as uncertainty looms over Rohit Sharma’s future until then. 

Ajit Agarkar further suggested that the captaincy change was done to do away with challenge of having three different captains across three different formats. He also stated that the management decided to give Gill ample time to prepare before the next World Cup, especially since a limited number of ODIs are scheduled in between. However, the former Indian all-rounder’s justification for Rohit Sharma’s removal from the captaincy role has not been received well by fans.

Despite being replaced as captain, the 38-year-old has been named in the ODI squad for the Australia tour, alongside fellow stalwart Virat Kohli, marking their return after a seven long months. Fans, miffed with the selection committee’s decision, slammed the BCCI for removing Rohit Sharma, who remains India’s most successful ODI captain with a 75 percent win-rate, even ahead of the likes of legendary captains like MS Dhoni, Kohli and Sourav Ganguly. 

Nonetheless, it remains to be seen whether Gill manages to silence detractors with his leadership abilities and performance in the upcoming tour to Australia. He has already led the Men in Blue to three Test wins out of six matches played so far, two in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

Fans Slam BCCI for Sacking Rohit Sharma as ODI Captain, Despite 2025 Champions Trophy Triumph

Indian cricket fans slammed the BCCI-appointed selectors for sacking Rohit Sharma from the ODI captaincy role, ahead of the Australia tour. The 38-year-old has been removed from the leadership role, despite having led the team to the 2025 Champions Trophy title, earlier this year. 

Fans react to Rohit Sharma
Fans reacted strongly after Rohit Sharma was removed from India captaincy role. (via X)

Rohit Sharma was expected to lead the ODI team until the 2027 World Cup. However, his shock removal, followed by Shubman Gill’s appointment as captain has left fans in agony, as chief selector Ajit Agarkar did not reveal the details of his conversation with Sharma before making the big call. Sharma captaincy numbers, having led the team to 42 wins out of 56 ODIs, show how capable he still is as a leader. 

Fans took to social media to share their reactions, with many expressing dismay at the fact that the 38-year-old deserved better treatment. A few others lamented even blamed India head coach Gautam Gambhir for the unexpected captaincy change. Some fans exclaimed that Rohit Sharma remains irreplaceable as India’s ODI skipper, having lost only three matches in the last three ICC tournaments. 

Rohit Sharma has experienced unparalleled success as India’s ODI captain, and even guided the team to the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup. His numbers with the bat are equally impressive, with 11,168 runs in 273 matches at an average of 48.76, including three double-centuries, 32 hundreds, and 58 fifties.

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