India ODI legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been named in the Men in Blue squad for the Australia ODI series. However, in a big change, Shubman Gill was named the new ODI captain, bringing an end to Rohit Sharma’s successful captaincy tenure.

Now a report in the Times of India has stated that Gill’s ascension to ODI captaincy is part of the long-term plan for the Indian team by the BCCI selection committee and head coach Gautam Gambhir.

The report also stated that both Rohit and Kohli will be picked on merit or form going forward. When Gambhir became head coach in July 2024, he collaborated closely with Agarkar to develop a strategy across formats building up to the 2027 World Cup.

Gill was named vice-captain in T20Is and ODIs instead of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya due to fitness concerns. The failure to beat New Zealand in the home Test series, as well as the series setback in Australia, pushed both Agarkar and Gambhir to take action.

“It has been a collective effort by Gambhir and Agarkar. They understand that it will be tough for both Rohit and Kohli to be at their peak after two years, given that they are in their late 30s. They didn’t want to be caught off guard if suddenly Rohit’s or Kohli’s form dipped. It would have created chaos in the leadership group.

The duo announcing retirement from Tests days before the selection for the England tour was a case in point. The team won the Champions Trophy and two tests in England even without Bumrah. It has given the confidence that no one is indispensable in the current scenario,” a BCCI source told the Times of India.

Given that the BCCI is looking at Gill as an all-format leader, Rohit's continued leadership in ODIs would have resulted in different team cultures across formats.

“A player of Rohit’s stature in a leadership role would have meant he would get to drive his philosophy in the dressing room. But with him playing only in ODIs, a format that is played the least, it could have disturbed the team culture. Gambhir had taken a back seat in Tests and ODIs in the first six months of his assignment, but the debacles against New Zealand and Australia prompted him to take charge more firmly,” said BCCI sources.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will return to India colors when the ODI series in Australia begins on October 19 in Perth. The second ODI will be played on October 23 in Adelaide, with the third and final ODI to be played in Sydney on October 25.

(Times of India report)