‘Bahut zyada memes ban rahe…’: Shami steps in to calm storm over Gill replacing Rohit as ODI captain

Mohammed Shami asks for support of Shubman Gill instead of trolling or questioning. (Photo: BCCI)

Veteran India pacer Mohammed Shami has supported the BCCI's choice to replace Rohit Sharma as ODI captain with Shubman Gill. With the 2027 ODI World Cup in mind, the BCCI selectors and team management have made the decision to get the team ready for the future.

Shubman, the Test captain, was chosen to assume leadership of the 50-over format. It was a brave move because India won the 2025 Champions Trophy the last time Rohit captained the team in ODIs. In the final match versus New Zealand, the daring opener was named Player of the Match.

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Social media was inundated with memes about the decision, as both chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir came under fire.

While addressing the social media memes around the captaincy move, Shami supported the BCCI's decision to give Gill the ODI captaincy, arguing that the young batter possesses the leadership skills and merits the chance. He asked everyone to support Gill as he assumes this new role and to respect the board's decision.

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"Bahut hi zyada memes ban rahe hai iss sawal ko leke. (There have been a lot of memes on this question) I feel there should not be any objection. This is the decision of the BCCI, selectors and coaches. Shubman captained India in England, and he is the skipper of the Gujarat Titans as well. So, he has the experience. Someone had to be given this responsibility, and the BCCI chose Shubman Gill for that, so we should accept it," Shami said on his YouTube channel.

The seasoned pacer urged composure in the midst of captaincy disputes, emphasizing that leadership positions are never permanent in cricket and that these changes are just a normal part of the game's development.

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"People should not raise questions over the captaincy. This is not in our hands. Someone is the captain today, and there will be someone else tomorrow. This cycle will continue," he added.

Despite being a member of the team that won the Champions Trophy, Shami himself was left out of the ODI squad and missed the Australia tour. Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, and Prasidh Krishna were chosen by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee to be their fast bowling options for the three-match ODI series.