Rohit Sharma set to be sacked as Test captain over poor red-ball form as selectors want new leader for next WTC cycle: Reports
The Indian selection committee have made a case for Rohit Sharma to be removed from Test captaincy ahead of the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The veteran player's role as captain was under scrutiny after Team India's defeat in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar series, and there is now a desire for a new leader to take the team forward, beginning from the tour of England in June-August.
According to a report by the Indian Express, there is still no clarity as to Rohit Sharma's place in the side as a batter due to his dismal red-ball form. The opening batter's numbers in Tests have taken a serious dip since the commencement of the home season in September 2024. The senior player even dropped himself due to poor form during the fifth and final Test against Australia in Sydney, handing the leadership duties to Jasprit Bumrah.
The report further states that the selectors have decided that Rohit Sharma should not continue as Test captain, and have conveyed the same to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) while asserting the need to groom a new leader.
“The selectors’ thought process is clear. They want a new leader for the England tour and Rohit doesn’t fit in as a captain, especially considering his red-ball form. They want to groom a young leader for the next Test cycle and the selection committee has informed the BCCI that Rohit won’t lead the team,” a source in the Indian board told The Indian Express.
The decision to appoint the next red-ball captain will not be a straightforward call by any means. Although Jasprit Bumrah comes across as the first-choice candidate due to his seniority and leadership experience, earlier reports have suggested that workload management prevents him from being considered for such a role.
Selectors feel it will be complicated to drop Rohit Sharma from playing XI if he is captain
Team India have enough top-order batting options at their disposal, especially with KL Rahul finding success as an opener in Australia. Rohit Sharma largely played in the middle-order during the tour Down Under to accommodate Rahul at the top, but it did not help his form. The skipper only scored 31 runs in three matches at an average of 6.20.
"Considering his red-ball form, the selectors are hesitant in making him the captain. As a specialist batsman, he can be dropped from the playing XI if performances don’t stack up, but it gets complicated if he is the captain. It also can have an adverse effect on the team, those in the know say, as it was felt on the Australia tour," the report mentions.
Team India's tour of England kicks off from June 20 onwards in Leeds. The Men in Blue last won a series in the nation in 2007 under Rahul Dravid's leadership.