'I was kind of surprised...': Australia legend's blunt verdict on Shubman Gill replacing Rohit Sharma as India's ODI captain

Legendary Australia cricketer Matthew Hayden was left 'surprised' with the BCCI's decision of removing Rohit Sharma as India's ODI captain and making Shubman Gill his successor. The announcement came as a shock as Rohit had to step down despite leading the Men in Blue to the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy title in March. The 38-year-old had a phenomenal record as the skipper in the format as India won 42 out of the 56 matches they played under his leadership.

Hayden remarked that even though he was surprised with Rohit's snub from captaincy, he also understood why BCCI took such a step. He pointed out that it will take time for Gill to become a great leader and thus, he had to be appointed as the skipper.

ALSO READ: Sanjay Bangar picks India's playing XI for 1st ODI against Australia, drops star spinner for young all-rounder

"Look, more than likely. But they're going to have their mind's eye on the 2027 World Cup. And so they should. I was kind of surprised, actually, that after the Champions Trophy, Rohit was unpacked as captain. But I also get it. Shubman Gill is being groomed. It takes time to build a leader," Hayden said on the launch of Test Twenty.

Hayden's remarks on Rohit and Virat

On the other hand, Hayden also highlighted how important Rohit and Virat Kohli's presence is in the dressing room. He also pointed out that rather than being just players, the two are like mentors for young players in the team as well.

"Having Rohit in the house, having Virat in the house, that's gold. They're not just players; they're mentors in the dugout. I hope it's not their last [tour], but you can't play forever, unfortunately," Hayden stated.

ALSO READ: Rajat Patidar smashes maiden double hundred during Madhya Pradesh's Ranji Trophy 2025-26 opener against Punjab

Meanwhile, Rohit and Virat are set to make their much-awaited returns to international cricket in the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia that is set to commence from October 19. The duo last represented the Indian team during the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in March and since then, they haven't played competitive cricket except for IPL. They will be hoping to make a solid return and help the Men in Blue in scripting a famous series triumph Down Under.

India's squad for Australia ODIs: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal.