According to former cricket player Mohammad Kaif, Rohit Sharma’s tenure as India’s ODI captain would come to an end at the 2027 ODI World Cup. He forecast that Shubman Gill would be given the chance to captain the Indian squad when Rohit’s term is over.
Gill’s ascent to the position of leadership has been extraordinary—almost like a fantasy. Gill took over as captain after what ended up being Rohit’s last Test match in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, leading India to a thrilling 2-2 tie in the complex England series.
After a historic batting streak of 754 runs, he was elevated to the role of deputy to T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav for the Asia Cup the following month. There have been rumors over Rohit’s future amid Gill’s ascent because he has stated his wish to depart the T20I and Test formats.
While talking about Gill’s stellar IPL performances, Kaif predicted that he would become an all-format captain. “In the last three years, Gill has scored 2,000 runs. He is the future captain. He is the Test captain, and in T20Is, he is the vice-captain. Rohit Sharma is the ODI captain. He is almost 38 and I believe will retire after the 2027 ODI World Cup. When he steps away, Gill will become the captain.”
Despite missing the side that won the T20 World Cup the year before, Gill was given the chance to captain India for the five games against Zimbabwe.
After the series ended, Gill’s career priorities changed primarily to ODIs and Tests, with T20 becoming less critical. Gill was appointed vice-captain and will participate in his first T20I tournament since July 2024.
Ajit Agarkar on Gill’s unexpected return to cricket’s shortest format.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar discussed Gill’s unexpected promotion and return to the game’s shortest format at the time of the squad announcement.
“We see some leadership qualities in him. And his form in England was what we were hoping for. He exceeded all our expectations with the kind of form that he showed with his bat, which is a great sign when there is so much pressure on you as a captain,” Agarkar said while speaking to the reporters.
