Is Indian Cricket Quietly Transitioning Away from Rohit Sharma Like MI Did?

Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain in the ODI format, waits for the World Cup 2027 to end his career by leading India to win the title. But BCCI seems to be spoiling his plans, taking inspiration from the Mumbai Indians, as they did in IPL 2024.

As the Indian team gears up for the Australia tour, fans are excited, as Captain Rohit Sharma is expected to return after leading the team last in the Champions Trophy 2025 final match. The Hitman also has one major goal, which is to win the World Cup 2027 for India as a captain.

However, it seems that the BCCI is planning something else, where they don't see Rohit Sharma for the World Cup 2027. , Shubman Gill is being looked at by the BCCI as the frontrunner to captain the Indian team in the ODI format.

The report also added that the Chief selectors had a word with Virat Kohli, and things could escalate quickly to make Gill the captain. This information is not verified, as some fans now think that the Indian team is transitioning from Rohit Sharma in a similar way in which the Mumbai Indians did in IPL 2024.

1. How MI Dropped Rohit Sharma as Captain

Rohit Sharma was sacked from the captaincy of the Mumbai Indians when the team bought back Hardik Pandya from the Gujarat Titans ahead of the IPL auction for the 2024 season. According to some reports, Rohit Sharma was informed about him being removed as a captain for MI during the World Cup 2023.

Hardik Pandya, who had two successful seasons as the captain of the Gujarat Titans, seemed to be a perfect option for the Mumbai Indians. Pandya had already been a part of the franchise and even led the Gujarat Titans to the finals in both seasons as a captain, also winning the trophy in his first season.

When Hardik Pandya was bought by the team, fans thought it would be a happy reunion for Hardik and Rohit. But it turned out to be worse than expected. Hardik Pandya was announced as the captain of the Mumbai Indians, as the team removed the Hitman from his captaincy post, despite him leading the team to five trophy wins.

Some say that the Mumbai Indians wanted to move forward from Rohit Sharma, considering the decline in the team's form after IPL 2020. While others also said that they wanted to lower the workload on Rohit, since he was leading India across all three formats at that time.

2. BCCI’s Latest Plan Mirrors MI Tactics

Recently, there have been a number of reports that claim that the BCCI is looking at Shubman Gill as the frontrunner to lead the Indian team in the ODI format. If this happens, fans might not even be able to see Rohit Sharma or even Virat Kohli play for the Indian team in the World Cup 2027.

Rohit Sharma himself stepped down as a captain in the T20I format after the Indian team had won the T20 World Cup 2024. At that time, Gill was not a part of the playing eleven, but fast forward to the Asia Cup 2025, and he is the vice captain of the Indian team in the T20I format.

Along with that, several fans say that Rohit Sharma was forced to leave the captaincy of the team in the Test format. After his failure in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he opted out of the final Test match. Eventually, he announced his retirement from the Test format in May 2025, weeks before the England tour.

After this, Shubman Gill was announced as India's new Test captain, and similar tactics are being followed by the BCCI in the ODI format too. The Indian fans are highly in favour of watching Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the Indian team for the World Cup 2027.

Rohit Eyes World Cup 2027 Success

Indian captain Rohit Sharma has set his eyes on the World Cup 2027, which will be played in South Africa. Despite not being a part of the team in the Test and T20I formats, he is eager to perform consistently in the ODI format of the game and lead as a captain.

Questions were raised about his weight and fitness, but Rohit responded with impressive numbers in the YoYo and Bronco Test. Now, with BCCI reportedly eager to have Shubman Gill as the ODI captain, will they be able to succeed in the same, or will the Hitman bounce back?