Should Rohit Sharma’s removal as captain have been more graceful?

By K.R. Nayar

(An exclusive for India's leading media portal Rediff) 

https://www.rediff.com/cricket/special/rohit-sharma-deserved-to-be-treated-better/20251006.htm

While reporting India’s Champions Trophy triumph under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy in March 2025 in Dubai, little did I imagine that it would be his last ODI match as captain. However, when reporting India’s triumph in the T20 World Cup in Bridgetown in June 2024, one knew that it was his last match as T20 captain since he had announced his retirement from T20 cricket. Now that he is not India’s ODI captain for the Australian tour, it is clear that sentiments no longer have any place in the Indian team. 

 

Rohit  Sharma addresses the media as captain in Champions Trophy. Photo by K.R. Nayar

Having trailed Sharma from the match in which he scored his first half-century (52) against Pakistan in Jaipur during Pakistan’s tour of India in 2007, and having witnessed many of his electrifying centuries and double centuries, it is not wrong to believe that his contribution as an ODI player has been monumental. So, except for the age factor, he could have continued as ODI captain and been allowed to step down on his own, just as he did in the T20 format. Unfortunately, he did not fit into the scheme of things for the future as envisaged by coach Gautam Gambhir and the selectors led by Ajit Agarkar.

 

Rohit Sharma bags Player of the Match award in his last ODI as captain. Photo BCCI Twitter

Today, if one looks into Team India’s bench strength, it has reached a stage where he could have even been left out of the team. In the current era where matches come thick and fast across formats, cricket fans’ memories have grown shorter — much like the formats themselves. And that is why it is crucial to ask: should a player with such deep understanding of the ODI format be removed from captaincy when neither age nor performance has dimmed his brilliance?

Sharma’s journey as an ODI player is a masterclass in consistency, timing, and temperament. India is truly blessed to have had such a player in its ranks. The ODI format demands explosive batting — and his approach, balance, and technique are crafted precisely for that purpose. Few in world cricket can glide from patient accumulation to spectacular acceleration as smoothly as Sharma does.

 

Yours sincerely with Rohit Sharma soon after winning the ICC T20 World Cup in Bridgetown.

Any team would love to have a batter like him who can post big scores. Three double centuries and 32 ODI hundreds are not mere numbers; they are the signatures of a genius. It is hard to find any cricketer in India who can read the rhythm of the game as brilliantly as he does and pace his innings according to the needs of the match. His ability to build partnerships and anchor innings is a lesson for everyone. To perform on the big stage requires not only guts but also the ability to handle pressure. His five centuries in the 2019 ICC World Cup stand as a glowing testament to that. His clean hitting against both pace and spin is a treat to watch and a skill to be learned.

 

Sharma has been opening the innings for India since 2013. His performance as an opener is also a lesson on how to fit into a role and give one’s best. He has adapted to conditions in every country and against every type of attack. His record of over 10,000 runs as an opener at an average of 50 stands out. Even in his last ODI match in Dubai – the Champions Trophy final – he scored 76 and won the Player of the Match award.

 

Yours sincerely with Rohit Sharma when he lifted the Champions Trophy in Dubai.

While Sharma’s appearance is deceptive, that often leads people to make wrong judgments about him. He does not have a muscular and built body, and does not work out intensely like Virat Kohli does. He may seem as someone with a carefree approach to fitness, but even that has an elegance to it. Follow his mishits and you will see it travels a long way. He is never off balance at the crease, and the shots he plays are executed with precision. He is still India’s finest run machine.

 So the question whether such a player should have been removed from captaincy without him wanting to relinquish it may come up.  There is still a lot to learn from his calmness under pressure, shrewd reading of the game, and field placements. When Sharma’s win percentage is the best among India’s ODI captains, shouldn’t he have been given the option to step down? He carries with him the experience of over 273 ODIs. Has anyone who was part of this decision making process, forget playing, even watched so many ODIs?

 

Rohit’s critics may argue that he should have stepped down after reaching the pinnacle, making way for a younger leader. But when the hands remain steady, the reflexes sharp, and the hunger for excellence alive, how does one convince the heart to relinquish captaincy?