At a Reliance Foundation event, ICC Chairman Jay Shah called Rohit Sharma “captain,” praising his role in India’s T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy wins. Though no longer skipper, Rohit remains a key ODI figure, targeting the 2027 World Cup.
The Indian batting stalwart, Rohit Sharma, was addressed as ‘captain’ by the International Cricket Council (ICC) Jay Shah at the Reliance Foundation’s United in Triumph event at Jio Gardens in Mumbai on Monday, January 5.
Rohit Sharma served as a full-time India captain from 2022 to 2025 before he was removed before he was removed from the ODI and Test captaincy roles, with Shubman Gill taking over leadership duties in both formats for Team India. Following India’s T20 World Cup triumph in 2024, the veteran batter retired from the shortest format at the international level and stepped down from T20I captaincy.
However, Rohit’s leadership tenure across all formats came to an end in 2025, when he retired from Test cricket following his sacking from captaincy, while he continues to play in ODI cricket despite no longer holding any leadership role, remaining a senior figure in the Indian setup.
Jay Shah Calls Rohit Sharma ‘Captain’
Though Rohit Sharma is no longer the captain of Team India, the veteran Indian batter remains a vital cog in the ODI setup, given his vast experience and leadership legacy. ICC chairman Jay Shah, who was BCCI secretary, did not hesitate to address Rohit Sharma as captain at the Reliance Foundation event ‘United in Triumph’.
Speaking at the event, the former BCCI secretary preferred to call Rohit Sharma captain because Team India won two ICC trophies, the T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy, under his leadership. He further spoke about how under Rohit’s leadership, the Men in Blue won the T20 World Cup title as well as the hearts of Indian cricket fans after missing out on winning the ODI World Cup in 2023.
“Our captain is sitting here. I will call you captain only because you have brought us two trophies,” Jay Shah said.
“In 2023, after winning 10 matches in a row, we won hearts but not the trophy. In February 2024, I said in Rajkot that this time we would win hearts and also lift the cup,” he added.
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Under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, Team India had a brilliant run at the ODI World Cup in 2023, winning 10 matches on the trot, including a semifinal against New Zealand, but ultimately failed to cross the final hurdle as the Men in Blue suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the title clash against Australia, who clinched the record-extending sixth ODI World Cup triumph, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
After seven months, in June 2024, Rohit Sharma guided Team India to the T20 World Cup triumph, defeating South Africa in a thrilling final and ending an 11-year drought of an ICC title. In 2025, the Men in Blue clinched the Champions Trophy title under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma.
ODI World Cup Missing from Rohit’s Trophy Cabinet
Rohit Sharma won four ICC titles in his career, two T20 World Cups and as many Champions Trophy triumphs, but the ODI World Cup remains the only major ICC trophy missing from his cabinet. The veteran Indian batter retired from T20Is and Tests, and solely focuses on the ODI cricket, intending to extend his illustrious career till the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
Though Rohit did not officially confirm his commitment to play the 2027 World Cup, his impressive performances in the ODI series against Australia and South Africa, and his blistering 155-run knock in his first Vijay Hazare Trophy outing for Mumbai in seven years against Sikkim, suggests that the veteran batter remains highly motivated and in prime form, strentgening his case to be part of India’s long-term ODI plans in build-up to the marquee event.
In 2026, Team India will play 18 ODI matches across six series, starting with the three-match series against New Zealand, which begins on January 11, giving Rohit Sharma ample opportunities to maintain his form and rhythm, as the Men in Blue begin preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
In his ODI career, Rohit Sharma has amassed 11516 runs, including 33 centuries and 61 fifties, at an average of 49.21 in 279 matches.