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Cricket PlayersRohit Sharma faces biggest succession challenge, gets warned of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: ‘One or two low scores and…’
Graeme Swann said Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli face growing scrutiny as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's rise fuels India's succession debate.
It is not something Rohit Sharma is new to. He and Virat Kohli have been at the centre of the succession debate for months now, a conversation that intensified more than a year ago when the two shockingly announced their retirement from Test cricket, leaving them active only in the ODI format. They went against those within the BCCI who questioned their future, reaffirming their commitment to remain part of India's plans for one final push at the 2027 ODI World Cup. But given their age and the limited amount of competitive cricket they play outside international fixtures, every innings, every score and every shot is bound to come under scrutiny.
Former England spinner Graeme Swann believes that is simply the burden of greatness — no matter how well a player performs, the search for a successor never stops.
With India set to travel to England in July for a three-match ODI series following the Afghanistan assignment, Swann observed that scrutiny surrounding Rohit and Kohli is only natural as a younger generation begins to emerge. He cautioned that any dip in form would inevitably reignite succession debates, particularly with teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi fresh off a stunning IPL 2026 campaign in which he amassed 776 runs and won five individual awards.
"Absolutely. I think it's inevitable with any player when you come to the latter stage of your career, the second half of your career, if you like, that people naturally start looking for your successor, no matter how well you do," Swann told PTI Videos.
"And even if you're at the top of your game, they're still looking like, who will be the next Virat? Who will be the next Rohit when they go? That's very natural.
"And the second you have one or two low scores, everyone starts looking over your shoulder and seeing who's next in line. And obviously, with Sooryavanshi coming through and some of the youngsters, it puts even more onus on the guys, especially at the top of the order for India."
While Swann did not single out any player, Sooryavanshi's rise has naturally intensified conversations around India's future at the top of the order. The 15-year-old has long been viewed as a generational talent, but it was his record-breaking IPL season that ultimately forced the selectors' hand. Later this month, during the Ireland tour, he could become India's youngest-ever international debutant.
Swann believes the coming weeks could prove significant for Rohit as India continue balancing established stars with emerging talent.
"So I think it's a huge six weeks for Rohit. But like I said, in the IPL, he looks in great touch and he's still one of the best players going, let's face it.
"So if I was an English bowler, I wouldn't really want to bowl against a Rohit Sharma who's desperate to prove a point and keep his place."
Swann also stopped short of describing the England series as a make-or-break assignment for India's senior batters ahead of next year's ODI World Cup.
"From an English point of view, England will hope that Virat and Rohit are sidetracked by a World Cup coming and not thinking about that because that will affect performance.
"India have got to make sure they're not sidetracked by that. But this is Rohit and Virat. They know what they're doing and they'll go out there. It should be, touch wood, dry and the ball shouldn't do too much at that time. The white ball tends to be easier to bat against than the red ball in England. So it could be very good batting conditions for both of them, which doesn't augur very well for England."
