Matthew Hayden calls BCCI’s appointment of Shubman Gill as ODI captain 'interesting' says, 'just be a bonus if Rohit Sharma makes it to next World Cup...'

Australia batting great Matthew Hayed opened up on the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) move to appoint Shubman Gill as Rohit Sharma's sucessor to lead India in ODIs ahead of the upcoming white ball series against Australia. He called it ‘an interesting move from afar’ and reckons that it would be a bonus if he manages to play the 2027 World Cup.

Matthew Hayden backs BCCI for ODI captaincy move

Rohit, who captained India in their last ODI assignment during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final, was replaced by his opening partner, Shubman Gill, as the side’s ODI captain. The white ball great set to feature in the ODI series against Australia as a batter under Gill's captaincy.

“Rohit being axed as captain was an interesting move from afar. After such a great win in the Champions Trophy, I suppose the selectors are purely looking at the numbers. At 38, with a couple of years to go before the World Cup, he becomes a bit vulnerable purely because of his age.”

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Hayden explained why BCCI appointed Shubman as the new ODI captain

Hayden further stated that the BCCI appointed Shubman Gill as the new captain in Rohit's presence to help him learn leadership from India's T20 World Cup 2024 and ICC Champions Trophy 2025 winning skipper.

“The talent and class are always on display, and so is that magnificent body of work, not only in terms of his own performances, but also India’s success as a team. Very similar to the Virat and Dhoni eras, lots of success.”

“But I guess it’s a bit of an insurance policy to bring on Shubman Gill, ensure he’s in-charge across all formats, and particularly help him learn leadership while Rohit Sharma is still in the dressing room. It would just be a bonus if Rohit makes it to the next World Cup,” said Hayden on JioStar.

Rohit Sharma's ODI performance against Australia

Rohit Sharma has played 46 ODIs against Australia, where he amassed 2407 runs at an average of 57.30 with a best score of 209 runs, including eight centuries and nine half-centuries. Rohit's last ODI outing against Australia came in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where he scored 28 runs in 29 balls.