• Home
  • Who Said What
  • Second Best Captain After Ex Ind Stars Praise Rohit Sharma As Gill Stands At Odi Helm

"Second-best captain after...": Ex-IND stars praise Rohit Sharma as Gill stands at ODI helm

Soumyajit Dutta

MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma [Source: @vishal_heeran/X.com]MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma [Source: @vishal_heeran/X.com]

In a significant move signalling a transition towards the 2027 World Cup, the national selection committee has appointed Shubman Gill as the new ODI captain, replacing Rohit Sharma for the upcoming series in Australia. 

Rohit, who led India to three ICC white-ball finals and two trophies, remains a vital part of the 15-member squad alongside Virat Kohli, with Shreyas Iyer named deputy for the three-match contest. This leadership change has ignited a wave of appreciation for Rohit's celebrated tenure.

Sehwag, Zaheer hail Rohit's leadership legacy

As the cricket world digested the news, veterans Virender Sehwag, and Zaheer Khan were quick to underscore Rohit Sharma's monumental impact as a leader, placing his captaincy credentials second only to the iconic MS Dhoni.

“People underestimate him regarding his captaincy, but after these two trophies, perhaps he has become the second-best captain after MS Dhoni. He thinks less about himself, thinks about his team, thinks about his teammates, makes them comfortable. He understands that if a player has insecurity, his performance doesn't come through, so that's why he doesn't give anyone insecurity, takes everyone in the team along with him,” Sehwag told Cricbuzz.

Echoing the sentiment, Zaheer Khan highlighted the unique blend of intensity and calm that defined Rohit's leadership. 

“Winning trophies is a kind of drive and his experience in this matter is quite extensive, so somewhere that drive is visible in him. Whenever playing multi-nation tournaments or franchise cricket tournaments, you can see what needs to be done, how to communicate, how to prepare — all these things absolutely reflect in his behaviour. And with intensity, that casual approach too, I think works very well for him,” Zaheer said.

Kartik on Rohit's unshakable dressing room trust

Former spinner Murali Kartik pointed to the fundamental reason behind Rohit Sharma's success: his innate ability to earn and maintain the absolute trust of his players, creating a cohesive and secure team environment.

“He doesn’t lose the dressing room… The players naturally gravitate towards Rohit Sharma because he talks about giving them chances, celebrates their efforts in press conferences and post-match, and has lived that belief consistently,” Kartik added.

With the end of the road for Rohit Sharma as India captain, it is also speculated that Shubman Gill is soon to become the all-format captain, replacing Suryakumar Yadav. However, as of now, it seems like Shubman Gill will have a golden opportunity as he looks forward to the 2027 World Cup.