“Very Very Friendly” – Rohit Sharma Gets Wholesome Message After BCCI Strip Captaincy

Former India player gives a sweet tribute to friend and teammate Rohit Sharma who faced the axe from captaincy recently.

“Very Very Friendly” – Rohit Sharma Gets Wholesome Message After BCCI Strip Captaincy

Dinesh Karthik and Rohit Sharma (via The Indian Express)

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There was a big buzz around the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in Indian colors for the upcoming Australian ODI series. With the duo just part of one format now, which is One Day Internationals, every chance to witness the pair play is a massive occasion for the fans.

The fans got their wish with the pair making it comfortably to the ODI side, but it came with a pinch of sorrow for the supporters as well. Out of the blue for most, Rohit Sharma was sacked from the position of the ODI captain of India and Shubman Gill who recently became the Test captain was given a leadership role in the 50-over format as well.

A change of that sort was unexpected with Sharma’s impeccable record as captain in the white ball format in recent times. The fans were disturbed by the news and expressed their dismay. However, the peers of Sharma, gave the now former ODI captain a fitting tribute. Former India player Dinesh Karthik, who is a close friend of Sharma was one of the first ones to pay his regards.

Rohit Sharma, thank you so much. You were a phenomenal captain, tactically astute, but most importantly very very friendly, and got along with everyone and made them feel so comfortable. For me the legacy you have left as a captain is, in those big matches you taught this current team what it takes to win. At times we used to take the backward step, but you said no we need to press forward. You didn’t leave it to anyone else, you started it with the bat and in the big matches you said I need to go harder, and that requires skill and you did it consistently.

Dinesh Karthik via his X handle

Karthik was very impressed with the change in mindset that Sharma brought into the team post the 2022 T20 World Cup. Sharma allegedly brought in the aggressive approach to the team from then on.

India only lost one match in the next three ICC tournaments and were champions in two of them. The 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy. It is the impressive resume of skipper Rohit Sharma that has made his sacking as captain, an even more difficult decision to digest.

A look at Rohit Sharma’s numbers as white ball captain of India

Rohit Sharma was for years one of the best captains in the Indian Premier League. He delivered 5 titles for the Mumbai Indians between 2013 and 2020 making many feel that he could lead the national side as well. A certain unsettling situation between Virat Kohli and the BCCI during 2021, pushed for Sharma’s case to take over as the leader of the Indian side.

His first major assignment was the 2022 Asia Cup. Unfortunately, the team just couldn’t step up and also lost a crucial match to archrivals Pakistan, which saw them fail to qualify for the final. It was followed by the 2022 T20 World Cup and India somehow scraped their way to the semifinals before being decimated by England on the big day.

Many believe that semifinal loss was the day when Sharma decided to change the fortunes of the side. The team began to play aggressive cricket and weren’t afraid of the big moments. They had one of the best World Cups ever in 2023 winning 10 matches on the trot before facing Australia in the final. It was an off day for the side as they went down to the Australians.

The team’s next big assignment was the 2024 T20 World Cup and under Sharma they were flawless. Not a single blip and team India raced to the final on the back of the captain’s aggressive intent. There was a point of uncertainty in the final against South Africa, but this time the team was ready to fight and got over the line to end an 11-year ICC trophy drought.

Rohit Sharma won the 2025 Champions Trophy as captain.
Jay Shah and Rohit Sharma (via NDTV Sports)

Sharma backed that ICC win with another flawless 2025 Champions Trophy. The team wasn’t challenged by anyone and eased their way to back-to-back ICC titles. They beat New Zealand in the final and as it turns out, that was the last match Sharma captained India in and ended his tenure on a high by winning the trophy.

In the 56 ODIs that Rohit Sharma has captained India, the team has won 42 times. An impeccable win percentage of 75 has propelled him to being the best ODI captain when it comes to numbers.

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