"You don’t want another situation like Australia" – Former India batter’s blunt assessment on Shubman Gill replacing Rohit Sharma as ODI skipper

Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa believes that the selectors took the right call as Shubman Gill replaced Rohit Sharma as ODI captain ahead of the upcoming Australia tour. The cricketer-turned-analyst pointed out that Rohit will turn 41 at the time of the 2027 World Cup, while reminding everyone about the leadership crisis that happened during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under.

Notably, Rohit Sharma had a terrible run with the bat in the 2024-25 BGT, managing just 31 runs in five innings. The opening batter sat out in the fifth and final Test in Sydney, and stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah sustained an injury during the match.

Uthaooa further backed Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to continue their exploits in the 50-over format. The 39-year-old, however, believes that their reflexes will play a big part during the remainder of their careers.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Robin Uthappa said:

“He’s gonna be, in all honesty, 41 when that World Cup comes around. Right? So, you gotta keep that in consideration as well. And for all intentional purposes, I think it’s done with taking the decision when the stakes are low rather than when the stakes are high, you don’t want another situation like what happened in Australia.

"To happen to Rohit Sharma, he’s too good a player for something to happen to him like that again. So, maybe to avoid all those stuffs. Maybe, I don’t know… You don’t want an uncomfortable situation like that, and if he keeps himself fit, then no questions there. You know Rohit and Virat will be a part of that side.”

He added:

“Yeah, I think so. I think they’ve been doing well as well… So far, they’ve played exceptionally well. So, I think they’ll continue to do well… They know how they get their runs and how they perform well, and they’ll stick to their set templates that works for them, and I think they’ll continue to do that.

"I don’t see form kind of dipping that sense, but it’s just about reflexes and does that work, and how those things work because right now, they are not playing a lot of cricket as well. The only cricket they’ll find themselves playing is perhaps the IPL and One Day cricket, and perhaps maybe some domestic One Day matches if they do come by."

“They will have to keep working on their game” – Robin Uthappa’s advice to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

Robin Uthappa further urged the two senior batters, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, to keep working on their game as they currently play only in ODIs after bidding adieu to the other two formats. He said in the same video:

“They will have to keep working on their game, and it can be a little weird to be very honest because when you’re not playing one format, you’re playing the other, then there is ebb and the flow of rhythm, right? And so, that’s something they need to work on, but I think they’ll be fine.”

Uthappa further believes that Rohit Sharma will only secure a spot in the World Cup squad if he remains fit. The former opener wants him to follow his template of scoring runs quickly after every fifty milestones. He concluded:

“If he remains fit, then I think he’ll be a part of the next World Cup because, like I said at the start of the pod, I think their templates for success in ODI cricket is clear for them. They know what works for them… However, Rohit Sharma is someone who’s basically upped the ante even in One Day cricket, and I think in the last 3-4 years, he’s played in a much quicker nip, and I think that’s been a transformation of sorts from him.”

“Ideally, how he scored all of his runs in ODI cricket was his first fifty would take about 60-75 balls, and then the next fifty to much lesser, and then next fifty to much lesser… The shift in which he approaches One Day cricket has changed, and I think that he’s probably found a sweet spot at that,” he added.

Rohit Sharma has amassed 11,168 runs in 273 ODIs — the 38-year-old averages 48.76 with the help of 32 tons and 58 half-centuries. He has scored 302 runs in eight innings at an average of 37.75 at a strike rate of 108.24, comprising one century and a fifty this year.

On the other hand, Virat Kohli has 14,181 runs in 302 ODIs at an average of 57.88, including 51 centuries. The 36-year-old has amassed 275 runs in seven innings at an average of 45.83, including a ton and two half-centuries in the ongoing calendar year.