It almost feels like Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar have already made up their minds—whatever they believe is right, that’s what they’ll do. Maybe they’re right. Maybe they’re wrong. But we’ll only know the truth in the future.
Now, a new report has surfaced suggesting that Shubman Gill never actually wanted the captaincy. It was, according to sources, forced upon him. Although he’s willing to take on the responsibility, the reports claim Gill didn’t ask for it.
Earlier Talks: Pant and Iyer Were Also Considered
Before this, there were reports that Rishabh Pant was being considered as the new Test captain. There were even talks about removing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from leadership roles. But Pant declined the offer.
After that, the focus shifted to Shreyas Iyer for the ODI captaincy. It made sense—he performed brilliantly in the World Cup, the Champions Trophy, and even led KKR to a title once, later taking Punjab to the IPL finals.
Still, he didn’t get the job. Reports now claim that Iyer was also offered the role but refused, as the selectors wanted to “say goodbye” to Rohit and Kohli. That’s when the baton was passed to Shubman Gill.
A Pattern in Indian Cricket Leadership
Something doesn’t feel right. In Indian cricket, a strange pattern has developed—whenever a player is at his peak, that’s when the system starts shaking his chair.
This time, the target seems to be Rohit Sharma. Just two days ago, the BCCI took away his ODI captaincy and handed it to Gill. The cricket world is now divided—
- One side calls it a new era,
- The other side wonders, “Why did this happen to Rohit?”
Communication Gap or Planned Move?
When Mumbai Indians removed Rohit as captain and made Hardik Pandya their skipper, there was a similar controversy.
Now, Agarkar says that Rohit was “communicated” about the decision. But if that were true, couldn’t Rohit himself have posted something—maybe saying, “I’m stepping down”?
That would’ve avoided all the conspiracy theories. But that didn’t happen.
Rohit Sharma: Not Just Another Player
Rohit Sharma isn’t just any player. Under his captaincy, India started winning ICC titles again and consistently remained the No.1 team in the world. His calm, composed leadership was admired everywhere.
But it now feels like the board has chosen to sacrifice the present for the future.
Even Mohammad Kaif stated openly that Rohit should have remained captain till the 2027 World Cup, and he’s absolutely right. Rohit is still in his prime—and yet, they replaced him with someone who’s already burdened with multiple roles.
Too Much Too Soon for Shubman Gill
There’s no doubt that Gill is a talented player, but every opportunity should come at the right time.
He’s still figuring out his role. Just look at his performance in the recent Asia Cup—it wasn’t remarkable. And now, they’ve placed the weight of all three formats on his shoulders.
Even though he’s officially the ODI and Test captain, sources suggest he’ll soon lead in T20s too, possibly after the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Kaif rightly said, “A player never asks for captaincy.” Reports indicate Gill didn’t either—it was pressure from the selectors and management.
When a young player is overloaded this way, he either shines brightly or burns out completely.
The Biggest Loss: Rohit Sharma
Kaif made a powerful statement that struck a chord—
“When you snatch captaincy, a player loses his right hand.”
That’s exactly what happened with Rohit. For him, captaincy and batting were one and the same.
Remember when Ponting handed him the Mumbai Indians captaincy mid-season? He turned the franchise around and made history. Rohit thrives under pressure—be it finals, knockouts, or high-stakes matches.
Now imagine taking that leadership away and telling him, “Just focus on batting.”
That’s like taking away a lion’s jungle—he might still walk, but he won’t roar.
A Silent, Pre-Planned Transition
Honestly, this looks pre-planned—a quiet transition to make Gill the face of Indian cricket in every format, as per Gambhir and Agarkar’s blueprint.
But doing it so quickly is dangerous.
Indian cricket has always needed a poster boy. Gambhir may deny it, but our system runs on star culture. From Sourav Ganguly to MS Dhoni, from Virat Kohli to Rohit Sharma, there’s always been a face that represents Indian cricket.
Now, that face is being shaped into Shubman Gill.
Even Kaif warned, “When you get so much so fast, it can backfire.”
The Pressure of Being the Poster Boy
Leadership brings charm—but it also brings massive pressure from the media, fans, and the board.
If this experiment fails, not just Gill, but the entire Indian cricket system will pay the price.
And the saddest part? Rohit Sharma isn’t even getting a farewell.
No announcement, no tribute—just a press release saying, “Gill is our new captain.”
No Farewell, No Respect
This kind of disrespect is unacceptable for someone who led India with such grace. Fans aren’t asking for much—just dignity for their heroes.
If the transition was necessary, at least give a proper send-off. A symbolic goodbye.
But it seems like the system is in a hurry to move on from its own legends.
A Repeating Story in Indian Cricket
Honestly, this isn’t just Rohit’s story—it’s a pattern in Indian cricket culture.
It happened with Ganguly, Gambhir, Sehwag, even Rahul Dravid. All these greats were pushed out, not phased out.
Fans will remember—
- The calm captain,
- The clutch innings,
- The smart strategies.
The board might forget, but we won’t.
Rohit Sharma may now be a “former captain,” but a leader like him won’t come again.
And if this system continues, the same thing that happened to Rohit today…
could happen to Gill tomorrow.
