Former India batter Manoj Tiwary has criticized the BCCI for removing Rohit Sharma as the ODI captain ahead of the Australia series. He said the decision sends a “clear sign of disrespect” to Rohit, considering his contributions to Indian cricket.
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Shubman Gill has been named India’s new ODI captain, with Shreyas Iyer as his deputy. Rohit, however, remains in the squad and is expected to play his first match since the Champions Trophy final.
Tiwary expressed that taking away Rohit’s captaincy feels like an insult. “The main reason behind this is hard to understand. But this is truly unfortunate. Considering everything Rohit has done for Team India, this feels disrespectful,” Tiwary told CricTracker.
He praised Rohit’s achievements, noting that he led India to the Champions Trophy, won the T20 World Cup, and came very close in the 50-over World Cup. Tiwary added that Rohit even earned the Player of the Match in the Champions Trophy final, highlighting his consistent performance as both captain and player.
Tiwary also hinted that head coach Gautam Gambhir might have played a role in this change. “It seems the current management wants young players under their tenure to control the team’s direction. That could be why this decision was made,” he said.
Overall, Tiwary called the whole episode “unfortunate” and felt Rohit deserved much more respect for his contributions to Indian cricket.