The shocking decision to fire Rohit Sharma as the ODI skipper was made by Ajit Agarkar, chief selector for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Although it was anticipated that Shubman Gill would ultimately take his place as captain, nobody foresaw that the move would occur two years prior to the ODI World Cup.
Former India batter Mohammed Kaif harshly criticized Agarkar's decision to remove Rohit, one of the most revered cricketers in Indian history. It was also claimed that Head Coach Gautam Gambhir agreed with the decision.
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The BCCI's decision to fire Rohit as the team's ODI captain was criticized in a video posted on Instagram by Kaif, a prominent critic and current game commentator.
He argued: "Rohit Sharma ne Hindustan ko 16 saal diye aur hum unko ek saal nahi de paaye bataur captain. (Rohit Sharma gave 16 years to India, and we couldn't give him even one more year as captain.) In 16 ICC event matches, he won 15 and lost the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia."
Kaif also mentioned Rohit's recent successes in the 2024 T20 World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy, where his performances were crucial to the team's quest for the championship.
Kaif continued: "Champions trophy ka jo last match tha Dubai mein, player of the match the Rohit Sharma. Waha trophy jeeta ke laye, 2024 trophy World Cup mein, waha jeeti Bharat, waha unke naam trophy. Baddapan dikhaya ki waha retirement le lia, ki chalo 2024 ka World Cup hum jeet gaye, ab naye players ko aane do. Thoda din limelight se bahar the, koi aur aaye kaaptani kari. Jab player aaye to unki jagah chali gayi." (In the last match of the Champions Trophy in Dubai, Rohit Sharma was the Player of the Match. There, he brought the trophy home. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, India won the trophy, and the trophy is in his name. He showed greatness by retiring there, saying, 'We've won the 2024 World Cup, now let new players come in.' He stayed out of the limelight for some time; someone else captained. When new players came, he lost his place.)
Kaif believes that the choice was made too soon even if Shubman Gill has the ability to develop into a capable captain.
"Hindustan mein example hain ki jab taak aapka daur chal raha hain na, aap usko khichte raho, par Rohit Sharma ne aisa kaam nahi kiya. Players banaye, players ko sikhaya, samhala, sawara, under pressure waha pe cheeze unko batayi. Par hum unko ek saal...2027 ka jo World Cup hain, kaaptani unko nahi di gay, hata diye gaye woh. Ek saal unko atirikt hum de nahi paaye. Shubman Gill takeover karenge. Shubman Gill, yuva hain, naaye hain, achhe kaaptan ban sakte hain. Par har cheez mein jaldbaazi karne ka absyakta kya hain?" (In India, there are examples of people stretching their time; Rohit Sharma did not do that. He made players, taught them, backed them, and mentored them to perform under pressure. But we could not give him one year. For the 2027 World Cup, he will not lead the team; he has been removed. We couldn't give him one additional year. Shubman Gill will take over. Gill is young, fresh, and could be a good captain, but there is no necessity to fast-track everything.)
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