BCCI advised to sack Shubman Gill, reappoint Rohit Sharma as ODI captain for 2027 World Cup

Former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary expressed that Shubman Gill ought to be relieved of his duties as ODI captain, with Rohit Sharma being reinstated by the BCCI. Gill assumed the Indian captaincy from Rohit in both Test and ODI formats in October 2025, but he has faced defeats in his two ODI series as captain. He made his captaincy debut in Australia, where India lost the series. Following that, India again fell short under his leadership in the series against New Zealand, after missing the home series against South Africa due to an injury.

Tiwary emphasized that the BCCI needs to 'course correct' and begin preparations for the 2027 World Cup, especially after Gill's captaincy faced significant criticism during the recently concluded ODI series against New Zealand.

"Yes, absolutely. That's what I'm suggesting because there's still time to course correct. It's about the World Cup. It's not just about a bilateral series or a random tournament we are going to play," Tiwary told InsideSport.

Tiwary further mentioned that the outcome might have been different if Rohit had been the captain during the series against New Zealand. India faced their first-ever home ODI series loss to New Zealand after suffering two consecutive defeats. He also remarked that Rohit is 'much better' than Gill and believes that Rohit's leadership will enhance India's prospects of clinching the World Cup.

"What was the need to remove Rohit Sharma from the captaincy? I'm pretty sure that if Rohit were leading even today in the ODIs, it would have been a different result (New Zealand series) altogether. Because when he won the Champions Trophy, I think the team was going forward in the right direction," said Tiwary.

"Rohit is not a little better than Shubman, but a lot better, currently. That's why he's such a successful captain. You can win it (the World Cup) with Shubman's captaincy, but I'm suggesting comparing the captaincy of both. If Rohit becomes the captain, what is the percentage chance of winning? And if Shubman leads, what is the percentage chance of winning? I think everyone will say that if Rohit is the captain, then there is an 85 to 90 per cent chance of winning the World Cup," he added.

Under Rohit's guidance, India emerged as the runner-up in the 2023 ODI World Cup and achieved an impressive streak of 10 consecutive victories in the tournament. Subsequently, the Men in Blue secured two ICC trophies in a row under Rohit's captaincy, winning the T20 World Cup in 2024 and the Champions Trophy in 2025. Rohit's reputation as a captain is further reinforced by the fact that he was the first skipper to lead his team to five IPL titles. Regarding Shubman Gill, the BCCI has made it clear that they aim to nurture young talent for the future and oversee their development.

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