Over the past few days, the reappointment of Rohit Sharma as India’s ODI captain has continued to surge to a peak level.
Former Indian batter Manoj Tiwari suggested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sack Shubman Gill from ODI captaincy. His remarks came following the 26-year-old’s back-to-back failures as India’s captain when playing against Australia and New Zealand in the 50-over format.
Gill’s maiden stint as India’s ODI skipper started on a bitter note with a 1-2 loss to Australia. However, Rohit’s match-winning century in Sydney saved the team from encountering an embarrassing whitewash.
‘Still Time Left to Correct’: Manoj Tiwary’s Suggestion to BCCI
Manoj Tiwary’s recent interaction with InsideSports saw him offering a crucial suggestion to BCCI ahead of World Cup 2027:
“Certainly! The main reason why I am suggesting making this decision is that there is still time to correct it before the World Cup. You cannot take it lightly as if it is any random tournament or bilateral series that we would play,” Tiwary voiced his opinion.
Rohit or Gill: Better Choice To Win World Cup 2027
Manoj Tiwary reiterated his statement by adding the fact that India’s World Cup winning chances can be enhanced only if Rohit Sharma once again becomes the ODI captain and not by retaining Shubman Gill:
“Absolutely! There is no doubt that Rohit Sharma is a lot better and more successful captain than Shubman.
Under Gill’s captaincy, you can hope for India to win the World Cup. But I suggest you all compare the captaincy records of both.
What if Rohit becomes the skipper? Just think about the percentage chances of winning and compare them with Shubman Gill. Then you will come to know exactly about the team’s percentage chance of winning under Rohit and Gill’s leadership.
Not only me, but also the fans and experts believe that India boast 85% to 90% chance of winning the world cup only Rohit is the captain,” Tiwary explained.
Rohit’s Captaincy Record in ICC Events Since the 2023 World Cup
It’s noteworthy mentioning about Rohit Sharma’s impressive captaincy record in ICC tournaments, which makes him a prime contender to replace Shubman Gill.
India won 23 out of 24 matches under his leadership in ICC tournaments, including the ODI World Cup 2023, T20 World Cup 2024, and Champions Trophy 2026. The only loss, unfortunately, came when India concluded as the runner-up of the 2023 World Cup by losing to Australia by 6 wickets in the grand finale.
Notably, Rohit became the first Indian captain to achieve an impressive streak of 10 consecutive wins in a single tournament.
Also, Team India clinched two ICC trophies under his captaincy, triumphing in the T20 World Cup 2024 and Champions Trophy 2025.
BCCI was earlier clear with its decision to nurture young talents for long-term captaincy. But, seeing the recent setbacks, it’s time for the Indian cricket board to reconsider the team’s success and development under an experienced and senior cricketer’s leadership, like Rohit Sharma.
What if Rohit were India’s Captain in the New Zealand Series 2026?
Manoj Tiwary confidently declared that India’s outcome in the recently concluded ODI series could have been different if Rohit Sharma had been named as the captain. He believes that the 38-year-old’s on-field captaincy skills have been much superior to Gill’s:
“See! My question is, what was the need to sack Rohit Sharma from the leadership role? It could have been a different result (particularly against New Zealand) if Rohit continued with his ODI captaincy.
Just because he won the Champions Trophy and defeated New Zealand twice in the tournament, India was traveling absolutely on the right path. There wasn’t any necessity to change the captain in the 50-over format,” the 40-year old added.
Tiwary was confident enough that Rohit’s captaincy was far better than Gill’s. He insisted India’s best chance to reclaim the ODI World Cup could only be achieved under his leadership.
1-2 Loss in ODI Series: A Warning Before 2027 World Cup?
Under Shubman Gill’s captaincy, India suffered a 1-2 loss to Australia and New Zealand in the 3-match ODI series each.
In between the Australian tour and the home series against New Zealand, Team India won the ODI series against South Africa by 2-1, that too under the interim skipper KL Rahul.
For the first time, India lost an ODI series to New Zealand at home under the leadership of Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir. This shows how the duo’s combination faltered, causing an early setback to the team.
With one and a half years left for the 2027 World Cup to commence, the BCCI should take a wise call to reappoint Rohit Sharma to the helm. Failing to do so could leave India’s hopes of clinching its third World Cup title in jeopardy.