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"Rohit Sharma ko hata diya": Kaif bluntly criticises BCCI after Gill becomes ODI captain

Soumyajit Dutta

Mohammad Kaif on Rohit Sharma snub [Source: @kulfi_icy/X.com]Mohammad Kaif on Rohit Sharma snub [Source: @kulfi_icy/X.com]

Shubhman Gill has been named the new Indian captain for the Australia ODI tour, and ex-India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has gone on a rant about Rohit Sharma's apparent snub. Rohit Sharma, who has been at the helm of the men's ODI team since December 2021, has been officially removed by Gautam Gambhir & Co. as the BCCI selection panel released the full ODI squad on October 4. 

Kaif rants criticism after Rohit gets snubbed as ODI captain

Kaif, sharing his disappointment over Rohit Sharma's omission as captain, blatantly criticised the BCCI selection panel while being vocal about Rohit Sharma's achievements as a skipper. Speaking in a video shared on his official Instagram handle, he ridiculed BCCI's decision to sack Rohit Sharma as Team India's ODI captain. 

"Rohit Sharma ne Hindustan ko 16 saal diye aur hum unko ek saal nahi de paaye bataur captain. (Rohit Sharma gave 16 years to India, and we couldn't give him even one more year as captain.) In 16 ICC event matches, he won 15 and lost the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia," Kaif said.

Adding to the criticism, Mohammad Kaif also highlighted Rohit's recent accomplishments, emphasising that the Indian star lost the limelight for only a few days. 

"In the last match of the Champions Trophy in Dubai, Rohit Sharma was the Player of the Match. There, he brought the trophy home. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, India won the trophy, and the trophy is in his name. He showed greatness by retiring there, saying, 'We've won the 2024 World Cup, now let new players come in.' He stayed out of the limelight for some time; someone else captained. When new players came, he lost his place," Kaif added.

Kaif says Gill was chosen early

However, Kaif also acknowledged that young Shubman Gill has the potential to fill Rohit Sharma's shoes, yet the decision to make the change was taken prematurely. 

"In India, there are examples of people stretching their time. Rohit Sharma did not do that. He made players, taught them, backed them, and mentored them to perform under pressure. But we could not give him one year. For the 2027 World Cup, he will not lead the team; he has been removed. We couldn't give him one additional year. Shubman Gill will take over. Gill is young, fresh, and could be a good captain, but there is no necessity to fast-track everything," Kaif concluded.

Nevertheless, Rohit Sharma, who longed for the 2027 World Cup trophy, will be ending his journey as captain of the Indian side. It is also worth mentioning that, along with Virat Kohli, this Australia tour might mark their last games on Australian soil.