Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif feels World Cup 2027 will be the final tournament for India's ODI captain Rohit Sharma. In Kaif's view, the tournament will be Hitman's last appearance in the format. He anticipates that following the ODI World Cup 2027, the team management will pass the leadership baton to Shubman Gill.
Gill's ascent to a top leadership position has been remarkable as he was appointed Test captain just before the Anderson-Tendulkar series, a role in which he led India to an impressive 2-2 draw in the challenging series in England.
Rohit Sharma to retire after ODI World Cup 2027?
Gill's recent success with the bat in England tour has further cemented his position. After a stellar performance where he scored 754 runs, he was named Suryakumar Yadav's deputy for the upcoming Asia Cup. These developments have fueled speculation about Rohit's future, particularly since he has already announced his retirement from both T20I and Test cricket. On his YouTube channel, Kaif praised Gill's prolific run in the IPL and predicted he is poised to become India's next all-format captain.
"In the last three years, Gill has scored 2,000 runs. He is the future captain. He is the Test captain, and in T20Is, he is the vice-captain. Rohit is the ODI captain. He is almost 38 and I believe will retire after the 2027 ODI World Cup. When he steps away, Gill will become the captain," Kaif said on his Youtube channel.
Having already retired from T20Is and Tests, Rohit will next be seen in the upcoming ODI series against Australia and then South Africa in October and November.
Gill's recent T20I career has been a story of strategic shifts. Notably, he was not part of India's T20 World Cup-winning squad last year. Instead, he was given the responsibility of leading the team for a five-match series against Zimbabwe. Following that assignment, Gill's focus shifted primarily to the ODI and Test formats, with T20s taking a temporary backseat.
Now, after being named India's vice-captain for the Asia Cup 2025, Gill is set to make his return to T20I competition for the first time since July 2024. In his career so far, he has played 21 T20Is, accumulating 578 runs in 21 innings at an average of 30.42 and a strike rate of 139.27. His T20I record includes one century, a best of 126 not out, and three half-centuries.