Star opener Rohit Sharma is reportedly considering a comeback through the unofficial One-Day series between India A and Australia A scheduled for September and October, as per a report by RevSportz. The India ODI captain, who has not been in action since the 2025 Indian Premier League, last played for the national side in the Champions Trophy held in March. While he has been away from competitive cricket, he is believed to have already started preparations for the high-profile tour of Australia.
According to the report, Rohit has shown interest in turning out for India A although there has been no official confirmation yet. The matches in the series are set to take place on September 30, October 3 and October 5. Meanwhile, former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has suggested that the 2027 ODI World Cup may serve as Rohit Sharma’s final appearance in the format. He is of the opinion that following Rohit’s farewell, the Indian team management would look to Shubman Gill as the natural successor to the captaincy.
Gill’s Rise
Gill’s steady rise in leadership responsibilities has been compared to a fairytale. After Rohit played his last Test during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the captaincy was passed on to Gill, who guided India to a memorable 2-2 series draw in England under demanding conditions.
The young batter, who amassed 754 runs in that stretch, was later elevated to the role of vice-captain in T20 internationals, becoming deputy to skipper Suryakumar Yadav ahead of the Asia Cup. This progression, coupled with his growth in international cricket, has sparked more discussions about Rohit’s long-term future, especially as the veteran opener has already stepped away from the T20I and Test formats.
Kaif Says
Kaif highlighted Gill’s consistent performances in recent years, especially in the IPL, and spoke confidently about his leadership potential through his YouTube channel. He said, “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.”
Despite not being part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad last year, Gill was sent to Zimbabwe to lead the team in a five-match series. After that assignment, his focus shifted more toward ODIs and Tests, while T20 cricket briefly took a back seat in his career path. Now, after being named as vice-captain, Gill is set to participate in his first T20I tournament since July 2024. Today Dainik Jagran report also took cricketing world by a storm where it said that After Rohit, Not Shubman Gill but Shreyas Iyer will be the new ODI skipper. Interesting times with refrence to India;s ongoing transition and leadership.
