BCCI sunbed Rohit Sharma from ODI captaincy. The board announced squads for the white ball series against Australia this October, with Shubman Gill as the new skipper for the 3-match ODI series. Rohit Sharma is in the squad, but not as a captain, only as a batsman. 

Former India cricketer Abhishek Nayar, who has been monitoring Rohit Sharma very closely, made some comments about the batter's intention in the format. Nayar said that Sharma has been preparing hard, keeping the 2027 ODI World Cup in mind. India went to the final of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 as an undefeated team but lost against Australia in the title decider game. 

Under his leadership, Men in Blue won the T20I World Cup and the Champions Trophy 2025 but never won the ODI World Cup, which is considered unfinished business for Sharma. It was expected that the board could show trust in his leadership qualities for the Australia tour as well. But the reality is different; Rohit Sharma is no longer the captain of India's ODI setup. 

Read More: Why is Rishabh Pant not in India squad for white-ball series against Australia?

Former India cricketer makes huge claimed about Rohit Sharma 

Nayar claimed in his statement that Rohit worked hard for the upcoming matches. And he might be focused on the 2027 World Cup. The former cricketer wished for good communication between the cricketer and the board so that they could remain on the same page. 

Abhishek Nayar: Rohit is preparing for the 2027 World Cup because he wants to win the one he couldn’t in 2023.

BCCI, you have destroyed his biggest dream. Karma will not spare you.

pic.twitter.com/orZi1BvDjQ

— Rohan💫 (@rohann__45) October 4, 2025

Rohit Sharma has played 273 One Day Internationals, scoring over 11,100 runs at an impressive average of nearly 49 and a strike rate of around 93. With his elegant batting style and ability to play big hits, he holds the record for the highest individual ODI score—a monumental 264. Rohit has scored 32 centuries and 58 half-centuries, including three double centuries in the format for Team India. He is the second-fastest player to reach 10,000 ODI runs as well.