In a move that has sparked intense debate in the cricketing world, former India batter Manoj Tiwary has publicly advised veteran star Rohit Sharma to consider retiring from international cricket. This comes in the wake of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) appointing young opener Shubman Gill as the new captain of the ODI side, effectively ending Rohit Sharma's tenure as the 50-over skipper.
A Call for Graceful Exit
Manoj Tiwary, in a candid conversation with CricTracker, expressed his strong views on the matter. He stated that a player of Rohit Sharma's stature does not deserve the humiliation of being sidelined. "If I were Rohit Sharma, I would have considered retirement after this," Tiwary remarked. He emphasized that it would be more dignified for the celebrated batter to step away on his own terms rather than be pushed out of the team's future plans.
"I don't think he (Rohit) is really in their plans anymore. Everything now depends on his performance," Tiwary added. He believes that after such a significant decision, which he views as disrespectful, continuing to play might not be the best path forward for the cricketing legend.
The End of a Glorious Captaincy Era
The transition marks the conclusion of a highly successful period under Rohit Sharma's leadership in One-Day Internationals. Since first taking charge in 2017, Rohit led India in 56 ODIs, winning 42 of them. His impressive win percentage of 75 places him among the most statistically successful white-ball captains in history.
His captaincy resume is decorated with major trophies and deep tournament runs. Under his guidance, India clinched the 2018 and 2023 Asia Cups and were runners-up in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup held at home. Furthermore, the team also secured the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai this year. His record in ICC events is particularly stellar, having lost only one match out of 23 across three tournaments while capturing two titles.
The Stellar Career and Future Speculation
Despite the captaincy change, Rohit Sharma's credentials as an ODI great are undisputed. He is India's fourth-highest run-getter in the format, with 11,168 runs in 273 matches at an average of 48.76 and a strike rate of 92.80. His tally includes 32 centuries and 58 fifties. He has also excelled in Australian conditions, scoring 1,328 runs in 30 matches there at an average above 53.
Interestingly, this development unfolds amid reports that both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have expressed their desire to continue playing ODIs and target the 2027 ODI World Cup. However, India's ODI schedule leading up to that event is expected to be relatively light, raising questions about team management's long-term vision.
The Indian team is next set to tour Australia for a three-match ODI series followed by a five-match T20I series, which will be the first assignment under the new leadership structure in the 50-over format.
