Ajit Agarkar, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Men's selection committee chief, came into the spotlight, drawing negative criticism by replacing Rohit Sharma as the ODI captain of the 50-over team. Shubman Gill was named the new ODI skipper after getting the responsibility to lead the Test side and also being the vice-captain in T20Is. Agarkar also confirmed that Rohit is not a certainty in India's scheme of things for the ODI World Cup in 2027. Former cricketer Saba Karim was left bemused to find the logic of having the former ODI skipper, considering he is not a sure starter in the playing XI for the WC in two years.
Aged 38, the Mumbai batter will be 40 by the time when the showpiece event takes place in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia in 2027. The Agarkar-led selection panel is not certain whether Rohit will maintain the same form and fitness to play the tournament. The expert feels there is no point then to take him to the Australia series who is unlikely to remain in contention for two years.
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"Team mein aap kyon rakh rahe hain?" (Why are you keeping him in the team?) Karim questioned while speaking on the YouTube channel Kadak.
"Agar woh captain nahin hain to phir ek baat saaf hai na ki aap unka future dekh nahi rahe ki wo 2027 ke World Cup mein rahenge, to phir aap aise khiladi ko team mein nahin rakhiye jo aapko lagta hain ki 2027 mein aapke hisaab se maujood nahin rahenge," Karim added. (If he is not captaining, then it is clear that you don't see his future. You don't feel that he will be a part of the 2027 World Cup. So, don't keep a player whom you don't feel would be a part of the 2027 World Cup.)
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Social media divided over Rohit Sharma's sacking as ODI captain
Notably, the social media is divided on Agarkar's decision to sack Rohit as the captain from the ODI format despite India last winning a Champions Trophy in March this year. The 38-year-old also has the best winning percentage of captains to have led their teams in a minimum of 50 ODIs. Under the right-hand batter, India also reached the 50-over World Cup final in 2023, winning 10 games and losing just the final to Australia.
India also won the T20 World Cup 2024 without losing a game under Rohit's leadership. Yet, the selectors took the bold decision not to continue with him as ODI skipper and replaced him with Gill.
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"Unhone team ko build kiya hain, unhone apko Champions Trophy aur T20 jitaya hai (He built the team, won you the Champions Trophy and the T20 World Cup)," Karim further said.
