AB de Villiers backs Ajit Agarkar’s ruthless move to sack Rohit Sharma

Legendary South Africa National Cricket Team batsman AB de Villiers has backed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee's decision to sack Rohit Sharma as the ODI captain of the India National Cricket Team.

AB de Villiers said that Shubman Gill is the right person to lead India forward heading into the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027, and he is a fantastic leader.

Shubman Gill will learn from two of the most experienced Indian players - AB de Villiers

Recently, the BCCI announced India's ODI and T20I squads for the Australia tour, and the biggest news coming out of the announcement was the sacking of Rohit Sharma.

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Rohit, who was India's ODI captain, was named in the team for the 50-over games in Australia, but there was no captain's tag mentioned in front of his name. Instead, Shubman Gill was named as the new skipper, having taken over the Test captaincy from Rohit earlier.

Meanwhile, speaking on his official YouTube channel, Proteas great AB de Villiers said that neither Rohit Sharma nor Virat Kohli is guaranteed to play in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027; hence, they can together help Gill develop into a great leader. He said:

"It’s not a guarantee both of them will be there for that next World Cup. That’s maybe part of the thinking when they made Shubman Gill the ODI captain. He has a good chance of being there, young gun, in incredible form, and a fantastic leader. I think this was the right move, to still have Rohit and Virat. Shubman Gill will learn from two of the most experienced Indian players of all time, high-quality, legendary players."

I think that is the reason they are hanging on, to play another World Cup - AB de Villiers

The former South Africa skipper added that Gill will be more than happy to get some support from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli when he leads India in Australia for the first time. He said:

"It will be fantastic for Shubman to have them around. It will be for the tour, which is around the corner, actually. So, we will be buckling up for some high entertainment and a great series."

While talking about Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's future, AB de Villiers stated that they are still reluctant to say goodbye to international cricket because they might want to play the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027. He said:

"They find themselves in the ODI side. I think that is the reason they are hanging on, to play another World Cup for Team India. It’s great to see. Whether it’s going to happen, I don’t know. Honestly? Form-dependent or are they playing enough cricket? It will take a lot from them to be there in 2027. Still a long way away. It’s not that far but it’s not so close."

There’s lots of cricket to be played and form to be kept - AB de Villiers

De Villiers believes that form will play a crucial role in deciding the fate of Kohli and Rohit for the next 50-over World Cup. He said:

"There’s lots of cricket to be played and form to be kept. They’ve got to score runs and that should be the message from the selectors. As big as legends they are, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will walk into my team and I will play them without looking at where they’ve been or what they’ve been doing."

AB de Villiers, however, issued a massive warning to Rohit and Kohli, saying that the competition is very high in the team and they have to consistently score runs. He said:

"But the kind of competition Team India have these days and the quality, these two know they have to go out and score runs. It would be a great asset for Team India in the World Cup to have them there. But the priority is to score runs. I have no doubt the two of them will come through and we will see them at the 2027 World Cup. They will also guide a lot of youngsters along the way and help Shubman to become a great captain."

Also Read: BCCI using “Corporate-Style Pressure” on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to force retirement