“He just recently won you the ICC Champions Trophy”- Harbhajan Singh 'shocked' over Rohit Sharma's snub as India ODI captain

Rohit Sharma won 42 out of the 56 ODI matches that he captained India in.

Harbhajan Singh, India’s former off-spinner, expressed “shock” at Rohit Sharma‘s dismissal as captain of the ODI team, stating he deserved to lead the side in Australia after engineering the ICC Champions Trophy victory earlier this year.

In a historic shift, India’s selectors handed over the ODI captaincy to youthful test captain Shubman Gill on Saturday, with the 2027 ICC World Cup in mind. However, Harbhajan thinks Rohit could have lasted a little longer.

Congratulations to Shubman Gill. Obviously, he has been leading the team well in Test cricket, and now he’s been given another responsibility: to lead the ODI side as well. Of course, Rohit has been replaced as captain by Shubman, and Rohit is someone who holds a very good record in white-ball cricket,” Harbhajan Singh said on JioHotstar.

“To be honest, it’s a bit of a shock for me to see Rohit not being the captain. If you’re selecting Rohit Sharma, select him as captain, because he just recently won you the ICC Champions Trophy. Rohit has been one of the pillars of Indian cricket when it comes to white-ball formats. I think he should have been given at least this tour. If the selectors are thinking about the 2027 ODI World Cup, it’s still far away,” he added.

Rohit Sharma is only the second Indian captain to take the Men in Blue side in three ICC tournament finals, winning the ICC T20 World Cup in 2024 and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025.

“I’m happy for Shubman, but..”- Harbhajan Singh says Rohit could’ve been captain for one more year

The ODIs in Australia are set to take place in Perth, Adelaide, and Sydney, from October 19 to 25, followed by a five-match T20 series. Harbhajan, who was a member of the winning 2011 ICC World Cup side, believes the selectors could have waited another year before awarding Gill the ODI captaincy.

“Shubman has a lot of time to grow into the role of ODI captain. I’m happy for Shubman; he’s got this opportunity, but it could have been delayed a little. He could have waited six to eight months or even a year before taking over. I’m happy for Shubman, but at the same time, I’m a bit disappointed for Rohit Sharma not being the captain,” Harbhajan said.

Regarding Rohit’s future role, Harbhajan stated that the 38-year-old Mumbaikar will continue to take Indian cricket forward in the ODI format alongside longtime teammate Virat Kohli.

“If you look at Rohit’s ODI record, he’s averaging almost close to 50. That shows how consistent he’s been and what he brings to the table as an opener. There’s no doubt about his performances and his approach when it comes to playing for India. He’s been a phenomenal player, and that will not change.

“He will continue to bat the way he always has and continue to be a leader in the team, irrespective of whether he’s captain or not. He’ll keep giving advice to Shubman or anyone else whenever needed. As a batter, Rohit won’t change his approach. He’ll remain as fearless as ever, and so will Virat Kohli. These two top players will continue to drive Indian cricket forward, and we’re all looking forward to seeing them win matches for Team India,” Harbhajan added.

Rohit had won 42 out of the 56 ODI matches that he captained with a winning percentage of 76.

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