Kaif expects Rohit's retirement after 2027 ODI World Cup, picks his replacement

New Delhi [India], August 20 (ANI): Former cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes that the 2027 ODI World Cup will be India's ODI captain Rohit Sharma's swansong. He expects that after Rohit's last dance, the management will pass the baton to Shubman Gill.

Gill's rise in the captaincy pecking order has been nothing short of a fairytale story. After the Border-Gavaskar Trophy turned out to be Rohit's last Test assignment, Gill was handed the mantle and led India to a memorable 2-2 draw in the exacting series in England.

After a fabled run with the bat that saw him rack up 754 runs, Gill was promoted to T20I skipper Surakumar Yadav's deputy for next month's Asia Cup. Amid Gill's rise, there have been speculations about Rohit's future, considering he has announced his exit from the T20I and Test formats.

While citing Gill's prolific run in the cash-rich IPL, Kaif expects him to emerge as an all-format captain and said on his YouTube channel, "In the last three years, Gill has scored 2,000 runs. He is the future captain. He is the Test captain, and in T20Is, he is the vice-captain. Rohit is the ODI captain. He is almost 38 and I believe will retire after the 2027 ODI World Cup. When he steps away, Gill will become the captain."

Gill was a notable absentee in India's T20 World Cup-winning squad last year but was sent on the assignment to lead India for the five fixtures against Zimbabwe.

After the conclusion of the series, Gill was shifted primarily towards ODIs and Tests as T20 took a step back in his career trajectory. After being announced as the vice-captain, Gill will feature in his first T20I competition since July 2024.

During the squad announcement, chief selector Ajit Agarkar addressed Gill's sudden promotion and return to the shortest format of cricket.

"We obviously see some leadership qualities in him. And his form in England was what we were hoping for. He exceeded all our expectations with the kind of form that he showed with his bat, which is a great sign when there is so much pressure on you as a captain," Agarkar said while speaking to the reporters.

In 21 T20Is, Gill has made 578 runs in 21 innings at an average of 30.42, with a strike rate of 139.27. He has scored a century and three fifties, with the best score of 126*. (ANI)

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