Indian cricket is currently going through a very mercurial transitional phase. While Shubman Gill impressed everyone with his captaincy in England, leading India to a 2-2 draw in the first-ever Anderson-Tendulkar trophy, the decision-makers within the BCCI have already identified him as the man to take Indian cricket forward.
Hence, he was made vice-captain of India’s T20I team in the Asia Cup, ready to take over from Suryakumar Yadav when the time comes, and shortly after, promoted as captain of the ODI team too, replacing Rohit Sharma.
The decision to swap Rohit for Gill as India’s man in charge of ODIs has been much discussed in recent days, with many believing that this could be the beginning of the end for India’s two-time ICC-winning captain. At 38, Rohit is now just like any other, which makes it all the more important for him to keep scoring if he dreams of playing the 2027 World Cup in South Africa. The ICC’s 50-over extravaganza is still over two years away, by which Rohit would have turned 40. The road ahead is uphill, but definitely not impossible to cover.
With so much being said, former India batter Manoj Tiwary has made some startling claims, saying the same ‘disrespect’ from the BCCI forced Virat Kohli to retire from Test cricket. Kohli, 36, shocked the cricketing world when he officially bid adieu to the format he loved the most on May 12, and while neither he nor the BCCI has thrown much light on it, Tiwary senses a conspiracy theory.
“Why would Virat have left Test cricket? He had already started preparing mentally for the upcoming England series. But the environment, the situation around him in Indian cricket, made him feel unwanted. When a player, no matter how big he is, starts feeling that he’s not needed or respected, a player with self-respect and dignity will never continue,” Tiwary told CricTracker.
Rohit may follow suit
With Kohli bearing the brunt of the BCCI, Tiwary worries the same may apply to Rohit if the BCCI doesn’t respect him enough. Tiwary has already raised concerns over the board’s treatment of Rohit, shoving him out of ODI captaincy when, in his last appearance for India, the man won the Champions Trophy, his second ICC title as skipper in nine months.
“That’s exactly why Virat quietly stepped away from Test cricket, not out of frustration, but out of self-respect. And if things continue the same way, I honestly think there’s a possibility that Rohit might also take that step in the future, not because he wants to, but because no great player should be made to stay where he feels disrespected.”
Kohli and Rohit will make their much-awaited comeback to international cricket when India tours Australia for a limited-overs assignment, featuring three ODIs and five T20Is. This would be Kohli and Rohit’s first game for India since they won the Champions Trophy in March, defeating New Zealand in the final. There is an inkling that something might happen when the Australia series concludes – possibly another one or two retirements – but nothing is concrete.