Former captain Rohit Sharma’s removal from the post came as a surprise to many especially after winning the Champions Trophy last year. The men who matter though, sought a fresh start in preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
But now former cricketer Manoj Tiwary has made a claim that head coach Gautam Gambhir played a significant role in the bold call.
“I don’t know what the primary cause is,” Tiwary told Sports Today. “But knowing Ajit Agarkar, he has a strong personality. He is a decisive leader who does not shy away from making tough calls. However, we must consider whether he was influenced by someone else to ‘fire the gun from his shoulder.’ A lot happens behind the scenes where one plus one equals two. Perhaps the decision was made by the chief selector, and he was upfront about it, but the coach’s input must have been there. You cannot make such a decision in isolation; both are equally responsible.”
Tiwary expressed his disappointment with the current state of the team’s management: “There has been a lot of inconsistency in picking the playing XI. To be brutally honest, I have lost interest in watching ODI matches. When a T20 World Cup-winning and Champions Trophy-winning captain is removed and replaced by someone new, it feels unnecessary. Having played with Rohit, I feel a connection to him and disliked how this panned out. It felt disrespectful to a cricketer who has given so much to fans worldwide.”
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul at the team hotel in Indore.❤ pic.twitter.com/kwGwiE8vRi
— Sonu (@Cricket_live247) January 16, 2026
The right-arm cricketer further added that doubting Rohit’s ability was a mistake. “I wonder why there were doubts regarding Rohit playing in the 2027 World Cup. Doubting his ability was a mistake. When a player has scored three double-centuries and plays with such a selfless mindset, as he did in 2023, you don’t question him. Removing him from the captaincy cannot be justified by cricketing logic alone.”
38 years old, but with the energy of a youngster! The entire Indian team was amazed by Rohit Sharma’s excellent fielding. pic.twitter.com/gerts3nVJb
— Sachin Parihar (@cricketnewsh) January 16, 2026
Sharma is presently featuring in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand and has been in good form in the 50-over format in the recent past.
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