Former Team India cricketer Manoj Tiwary has suggested that BCCI Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar and Head Coach Gautam Gambhir were the main actors behind the decision to remove Rohit Sharma as captain of the ODI. Rohit had already led India to win the ICC Champions Trophy before the announcement of this replacement by Shubman Gill. This change was made public through Ajit Agarkar, who had already taken on the role of Chief Selector.
Tiwary said that Agarkar is a man who frequently takes strong decisions, but in case of such a dramatic change, the input of others was probably a must. He said the Chief Selector wouldn’t take such a risk at all and that the coach's hint might have been the factor that tipped the scale. He positioned Agarkar and Gambhir Sharply as the ones behind the decision.
He further stated that it would be improper to take away the captaincy from a leader who has already claimed major tournaments, such as the T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy titles. Tiwary added that this could be considered an insult to Rohit Sharma.
Tiwary raised the concern for the 2027 ODI World Cup in which Rohit was said to be replaced. He remarked that doubting Rohit’s credentials is a big error and cited the fact that the batsman has amassed three double centuries in ODIs, a record no one else has.
Tiwary also took a swing at the current selection process of the Indian team. He noted the playing eleven being inconsistently selected and said that these problems have turned him off to ODI matches.
