In a landmark change for Indian cricket, Rohit Sharma has been relieved of his role as ODI captain, with Shubman Gill appointed to lead the side for the upcoming three-match series against Australia commencing October 19. Rohit, 38, who captained India to two ICC trophies within eight months the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy remains part of the squad as a specialist batsman alongside Virat Kohli. This strategic move, aimed at streamlining leadership across formats and grooming Gill for the 2027 ODI World Cup scheduled in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, has sparked a major reaction on social media, with “Rohit Sharma” trending globally on X (formerly Twitter).
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar emphasized the long-term planning behind this decision, stating, “It’s practically impossible to have three different captains for three formats… You’ve got to start looking where the next World Cup will be.” Agarkar acknowledged the difficulty of the decision, commending Rohit’s contribution: “Even if he had not won the Champions Trophy, it would have been a difficult decision because of how good he’s been for India.” Rohit was informed of the change during a press conference in Ahmedabad and leaves behind an impressive record of 42 wins in 56 ODIs as a full-time captain, including appearances in the 2023 World Cup final and consecutive Asia Cup triumphs.
Social Media
Social media erupted with mixed emotions ranging from gratitude to outrage. On X, there were over 500,000 mentions of “Rohit Sharma” in some hours. Fans flooded timelines with tributes, hailing him as “The Hitman” and “The Legend,” celebrating his unbeaten streak of 23 wins in 24 ICC matches as captain. Hashtags such as #ThankYouRohit, #RohitSharma, and #EndOfAnEra gained momentum alongside #INDvsAUS for the upcoming series.
Prominent cricket analyst Aakash Chopra invited fans to share their thoughts, garnering thousands of likes and replies. Viral fan posts praised Rohit’s tenure, with messages like “THANK YOU, CAPTAIN ROHIT SHARMA. Final in ODI WC. T20I WC win. Champions Trophy win. It was a fantastic ride, you have changed Indian Cricket in white ball format forever.” Meanwhile, some fans voiced displeasure and accused the BCCI of “disrespect,” highlighting Rohit’s fitness and recent success. Notably, fan account @viratkohli_un expressed support for Rohit, emphasizing his sacrifices and contributions despite whispers of decline.
Supporters of Gill welcomed the new captaincy but questioned his readiness, with some skeptical voices pointing to inconsistencies in his big-match performances. Memes circulating on social platforms added levity, including humorous takes on the shocking captaincy switch.
ODI Squad
Despite the strong fan sentiments for Rohit, the BCCI’s move reflects a clear youth-centric strategy heading into major ICC events. The ODI squad leading into the Australia tour balances experience and emerging talent, featuring Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
While Ajit Agarkar sidestepped direct answers about Rohit and Virat’s inclusion in the 2027 World Cup squad, noting “That’s the format they are at the moment playing; we picked them as far as the 2027 World Cup is concerned,” speculation about their retirement continues. Rohit, defying age at 37, remains passionate and determined to contribute.
Akkha Team India ek taraf
Aur apne RoKo ek taraf #INDvsAUS #RohitSharma pic.twitter.com/ZEt8u9xJu7
— Raja Babu (@GaurangBhardwa1) October 4, 2025
Rohit Sharma will always be my all time favorite cricket captain. It was a pleasure to have him as the captain of Mumbai Indians and Team India. pic.twitter.com/Je1fnLdWJW
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) October 4, 2025
– Started with winning trophy for india
– Finishes with winning trophy for indiaLegend Rohit Sharma the captain who made the game easy . pic.twitter.com/OtzuM7Nsfl
— lakshman (@rebel_notout) October 4, 2025
Enjoy every bit of Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma on Australia tour. You may never see them play cricket in Indian Jersey ever again!!
I have grown up watching them, my cricket watching career started with them. Thank You RO-KO for entertaining us for 18 years pic.twitter.com/je4aYvIoHX
— Rajiv (@Rajiv1841) October 4, 2025