The image shows Rohit Sharma interacting with Shubman Gill during a match between New Zealand and India at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai.
In an emotional 13-minute video on his YouTube channel, former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif vehemently questioned the decision to remove Rohit Sharma from the ODI captaincy. He specifically blamed chief selector Ajit Agarkar for allegedly pressuring young talent Shubman Gill to take over the role prematurely.
Kaif expressed his disappointment, stating, “What wrong has Rohit Sharma done? It’s very unfortunate that we didn’t get a long captaincy run from Rohit—not even four years.” He further emphasized Rohit’s leadership qualities: “A great batter, an outstanding leader, and as captain, he could have had an even more impressive record. When you snatch captaincy, I feel a player loses his right hand.”
He argued that the selectors should have waited until the 2027 ODI World Cup before making such a significant change. “This was on expected lines, but I felt this would happen after the 2027 World Cup. The guy has quality, and he’s also worked on his fitness. He had a realistic chance of playing in the 2027 World Cup,” Kaif elaborated.
However, Kaif also issued a cautionary note regarding the impact of this sudden responsibility on Shubman Gill’s performance. “However, the load falls on Gill. He’s getting all of it in a hurry. It could also backfire. When you get so much responsibility in such a short time, it could affect performance,” he warned.
Highlighting the extensive responsibilities already entrusted to Gill, Kaif added, “My point is: don’t overburden him. He captains in Tests, bats at No. 4, was made vice-captain in the Asia Cup, and will take over when Suryakumar Yadav steps aside. Now you’ve made him the ODI captain. I feel everything is being done in a hurry. A player never asks for captaincy.”
Kaif concluded by asserting, “Everyone knows he didn’t want it. You can’t demand it, but everyone seems to like him a lot and considers him a captain for the future. The selectors, including Ajit Agarkar, have pressurized him.”