Sourav Ganguly shuts down Rohit Sharma sacking talk: 'It happened to me, it happened to Dravid'

NEW DELHI: Former India captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has defended the decision to relieve Rohit Sharma of his ODI captaincy, insisting it was not a sacking but a natural progression in a player’s career. Ganguly drew parallels to his own career and that of Rahul Dravid, both of whom faced similar transitions as they approached the twilight of their playing days.

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“I’m sure Rohit must have been spoken to. I’m not sure if it’s sacking. I’m sure it’s a mutual discussion,” Ganguly told India Today. “Rohit has been an outstanding leader — he’s won the T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy. Performance is not the issue with Rohit Sharma. In 2027, Rohit will be 40. That’s a big number in sport. It happened to me, it happened to Dravid… it happens to everyone. Even Shubman Gill will face the same at 40.”

Ganguly also backed the selection committee’s move to appoint Shubman Gill as India’s new ODI captain. He highlighted Gill’s impressive performance during India’s five-Test series in England this summer, where the young skipper amassed 754 runs, including four centuries — surpassing historic records by Graham Gooch and Sunil Gavaskar.



“Not a bad decision to promote Gill. He’s shown a lot of talent in England. I think it’s a fair call… Rohit can keep playing while you groom a young captain,” Ganguly said. “It’s too early, but the way he has played and captained the team is extraordinary. Lots of potential, both as a player and as a captain.”


On Rohit’s future, Ganguly stressed the importance of domestic cricket in maintaining form and fitness, noting that age will eventually factor into team selection. “Yes, 40 is a lot of age. It depends on how fit he stays, how much cricket he plays, and how many runs he scores. Whatever opportunity they get, they have to play domestic cricket. That’s what it is — cricket is a sport where you have to keep playing to stay sharp,” he was quoted as saying by PTI.

Ganguly concluded by underlining that transitions are a part of sport and no player is immune. “It happens to everyone. Whether it’s Federer, Nadal, or Maradona, everyone has to finish someday. Rohit’s contribution will always be remembered, and the future is now about Gill leading the side forward.”

India will begin their ODI campaign under Gill’s leadership with a three-match series in Australia starting October 19, followed by a five-match T20I series from October 29.

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