Former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selector Saba Karim has blasted Ajit Agarkar for sacking Rohit Sharma as the ODI skipper of the India National Cricket Team.
Saba Karim said that the decision taken by selectors was “very abrupt” and there was absolutely no need to remove Rohit Sharma from leadership and bring Shubman Gill to the helm in ODI cricket.
This has been a very surprising and shocking decision – Saba Karim
The T20 World Cup and ICC Champions Trophy-winning captain Rohit Sharma has ruthlessly been sacked as India’s ODI skipper ahead of the Australia tour.
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Rohit Sharma has already retired from T20I and Test cricket and said goodbye to both formats at a time when he was still the captain of the side. After retiring from the two formats, Rohit set his eyes on extending his ODI career, and being the skipper might have given him some privileges as well.
However, Ajit Agarkar & Co. snatched that privilege away from Rohit Sharma as the selectors and team management look at building a team for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027.
A young skipper, Shubman Gill, has been chosen to lead the side as Agarkar said that he needs at least a couple of years to get settled in the role ahead of the World Cup.
Although Rohit is no longer the ODI skipper, he remains in the side as a player, and reportedly, his performances will decide how long the selection committee is willing to stick with him, with the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhishek Sharma waiting in the wings.
Meanwhile, speaking on KADAK, Saba Karim said that he was absolutely shocked by the manner in which Rohit Sharma was sacked. He stated:
“I think this is a very abrupt decision and there was absolutely no need for it. He (Rohit Sharma) is a winning captain who has led you to back-to-back trophies, and you have bid him farewell in such a manner. This has been a very surprising and shocking decision for me. There was still time; it’s not as if there was any need to rush.”
It’s not like Rohit Sharma suddenly forgot how to captain – Saba Karim
Saba Karim further said that Rohit Sharma played a massive role in building a champion team, and he still is a great captain and batter. He said:
“The World Cup is in 2027, and he had already informed that he would play only one format. He has built this team so brilliantly, the team that won the Champions Trophy, the T20 title before that, and the way the team is currently performing in T20s, Rohit Sharma has had a massive role in building it.
“It’s not like he suddenly forgot how to captain or that he doesn’t know how to lead in this format. Nor is it that he doesn’t know how to score runs in this format. He’s the one who, by opening the innings, showed everyone how to maintain the scoring rate and what approach to take on the field. So, in my opinion, his exit has been extremely shocking.”
Also Read: AB de Villiers backs Ajit Agarkar’s ruthless move to sack Rohit Sharma
I believe there is still a need to have different captains for different formats – Saba Karim
Shubman Gill is in line to soon become the all-format captain of India as he is already at the helm in ODI and Test cricket and is serving as the deputy of Suryakumar Yadav in T20Is. As per reports, Suryakumar Yadav will be sacked as the T20I captain after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, irrespective of the result.
However, Saba Karim is not on the same page as the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee. He feels that the one captain for all formats theory is flawed, and India need to have different skippers. He said:
“I think there is some directive that India doesn’t want to have different captains for the three formats. I believe his end might also be written (Speaking about Surya’s potential removal as T20I captain), maybe after the World Cup. Because these dynamics, I feel, are something the team management and selectors find difficult to cope with. And this seems to be the selectors’ mindset that having multiple captains makes it tough for the players.”
“I don’t agree with that view. I believe there is still a need to have different captains for different formats, or at least separate captains for white-ball and red-ball cricket. There’s no extra work required for that because both white-ball and red-ball teams have different visions, approaches, and preparations.”
