In what could alter the future of Indian cricket, the BCCI dropped a bomb on Saturday when its chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, announced a huge change in guard. Rohit Sharma's time as India's ODI captain is over, succeeded by Shubman Gill, who will take charge of the team when India plays Australia in three ODIs starting October 19. Rohit hasn't played for India since the first half of March, or any form of competitive cricket dating back to May. The Australia ODIs were when he was expected to return, and while he did, the decision no one saw coming was that he would be removed as captain. With this, the era of Rohit, the captain in Indian cricket, is over, and at 38 years of age, Rohit, the opener, the batter, takes centre stage again.
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The first reactions to this huge development are out, with Harbhajan Singh expressing shock at the BCCI’s move. The former India spinner was elated with Shubman Gill's promotion, but felt Rohit should have travelled to Australia as captain before the big decision was made.
"First of all, congratulations to Shubman Gill. Obviously, he has been leading the team well in Test cricket, and now he’s been given another opportunity in ODIs as well. It's going to be a new challenge for him. Rohit has been replaced, but he will always be someone who holds a very good record in white-ball cricket. To be honest, this news is a little bit shocking to me. If at all, he was going to Australia, he should have been the captain. He won the Champions Trophy, and other tournaments too (T20 World Cup)," said Harbhajan moments after the squad was announced.
{{/usCountry}}"First of all, congratulations to Shubman Gill. Obviously, he has been leading the team well in Test cricket, and now he’s been given another opportunity in ODIs as well. It's going to be a new challenge for him. Rohit has been replaced, but he will always be someone who holds a very good record in white-ball cricket. To be honest, this news is a little bit shocking to me. If at all, he was going to Australia, he should have been the captain. He won the Champions Trophy, and other tournaments too (T20 World Cup)," said Harbhajan moments after the squad was announced.
{{/usCountry}}"He's been one of the pillars of Indian cricket, so he should have been given one last captaincy run in Australia. I know the 2027 World Cup is still very far away. Gill could have waited a little and taken over in another 6-8 months. So yeah, I’m happy for Shubman but disappointed for Rohit to be removed."
Dinesh Karthik's tribute steals the show
If you thought Harbhajan's remarks took the cake, listen to what Dinesh Karthik had to say. There’s a reason why he's forayed into commentary after finishing his cricket career. The man can create magic with his words, penning a very thoughtful and moving tribute to India's outgoing captain Rohit.
“Rohit Sharma! Thank you so much. You were a phenomenal captain. Tactically astute, but most importantly, very friendly, and got along with everyone and made them feel so comfortable. But for me, the legacy that you have left as a captain is in those big moments, 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'. Put more pressure on the opponent, take more risks. And you didn't leave it to anyone else. You started it with the bat when in the big matches, you said 'I’m going to go hard'. That required skill. And you got it done consistently,"