Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has weighed in on the future of Indian cricket leadership, predicting that Rohit Sharma will retire from ODIs after the 2027 World Cup, paving the way for Shubman Gill to take over as the captain in the 50-over format. However, while Kaif has backed Gill to lead India in all formats, reports suggest that Shreyas Iyer is currently the front-runner to succeed Rohit in ODIs.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaif praised Gill’s rapid rise, pointing out his leadership credentials and red-hot form across formats. He also said that Rohit, now 38, and retired from T20Is and Tests, will retire after the next ODI World Cup.
Rohit has been one of the world’s best batters in white-ball cricket since he was moved to the top order to open the batting in 2013. Under his leadership, India won the T20 World Cup last year and the Champions Trophy earlier this year.
“In the last three years, Gill has scored 2,000 runs. He is the future captain. He is already leading the Test team, and is now vice-captain in T20Is. When Rohit, who is almost 38, steps down after the 2027 World Cup, Gill will be ready to take over,” Kaif said.
Gill’s recent performances have only added weight to that belief. After taking over as Test captain following Rohit’s last red-ball assignment during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he led India to a hard-fought 2-2 series draw in England and impressed with the bat, scoring 754 runs. He was recently named vice-captain of the T20I side for the upcoming Asia Cup under Suryakumar Yadav, marking his return to the format after more than a year.
Despite this, sources close to the Indian team management have indicated that the selectors have a different succession plan for the ODI captaincy. According to reports, Shreyas Iyer is being groomed to take charge in the 50-over format. The Mumbai batter narrowly missed selection in the Asia Cup T20 squad due to the team size limit, but remains a key figure in the ODI setup.
Iyer has been one of India’s most consistent ODI performers in recent years. He played a crucial role in India’s Champions Trophy triumph earlier this year, contributing five important knocks, including scores of 56, 79 and 48. He has amassed 2845 runs in 70 ODIs at an average of 48.22, with five centuries to his name.
According to a Dainik Jagran report, the selectors reportedly believe Iyer is better positioned than Gill to handle the ODI captaincy due to workload considerations. With Gill already leading in Tests and being lined up as a future T20I captain, giving him all three formats is seen as too demanding in today’s packed international schedule.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar acknowledged Gill’s leadership traits and form during the Asia Cup squad announcement, particularly highlighting his success in England. But while Gill remains central to India’s long-term plans, the preference for format-specific leaders has prompted the management to consider Iyer for the ODI job.
Shreyas’ chance to take over could come as early as the ODI series in Australia later this year, depending on Rohit Sharma’s decision about his international future.
