t wasn’t a great end to 2024 for Rohit Sharma, and it hasn’t been a great start to 2025, either. The new year precisely began where it ended in 2024, right after the loss in the Melbourne Test, with world cricket buzzing with speculations on Rohit’s future in Test cricket. And it eventually peaked on Thursday, with the India skipper having “opted out” of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series decider against Australia in Sydney amid his dwindling returns with the bat. With Rohit yet to clarify his future in the format, the speculations further opened doors for BCCI’s selection committee to discuss leadership options for the impending ICC Champions Trophy.
Rohit retired from the T20I format last June after India lifted the T20 World Cup, and Suryakumar Yadav took over the reins a month later. In Test cricket, Jasprit Bumrah, who earlier led India to an emphatic win in Perth, looks poised to captain the national team in the traditional format.
With rising speculations on Rohit’s future across formats, and the plot in the Indian team being the evident transition under head coach Gautam Gambhir, a report in My Khel hinted that BCCI is already exploring leadership options in ODI cricket.
The report revealed that if Rohit’s role as an ODI captain comes under scrutiny or the selectors decide to ease the burden on the 37-year-old, Hardik Pandya could emerge as the next leader. The all-rounder already has the experience of having led the team across white-ball formats over the last two years.
“Hardik has the knack for leading in high-pressure situations, and his experience as an all-rounder and leader makes him an ideal choice for an ICC tournament like the Champions Trophy,” a source told MyKhel.
Why is Hardik Pandya the strongest contender to replace Rohit Sharma?
India haven’t largely been in favour of split captaincy. But with Suryakumar Yadav, India’s T20I skipper, not having cemented his place in the ODI set-up, it is unlikely that he would be named the captain in 50-overs cricket. Other players who could be in the mix to replace Rohit are Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill.
The report added that with Gill requiring time to evolve into a mature leader, Hardik emerges as the strongest contender to take over the ODI duties from Rohit.
“Gill needs more grooming to mature into a leader, and SKY’s ODI performances haven’t been convincing enough. Hardik remains the most balanced option to lead India in ODIs if Rohit is unavailable,” the source added.
