Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden believes that Rohit Sharma was relieved of the captaincy role because of his age.
“Rohit being axed as captain was an interesting move from afar,” he told JioHotstar. “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.”
Shubman Gill was handed the ODI captaincy ahead of the Australia tour, and with that, Rohit’s tenure as skipper came to an end. Some experts believed that India should have continued with the 38-year-old leading the team.
Hayden thinks the decision was a strategic one — keeping in mind that Rohit’s experience will be helpful for Gill in his early days as captain.
“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,” he said. “Very similar to the Virat and Dhoni eras — lots of success. But I guess it’s a bit of an insurance policy to bring in 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.”
The first ODI of the three-match series will be played on Sunday, October 19, and fans are eager to see Rohit back in action after a long break from competitive cricket.
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