Indian cricket | 'When he steps away ...': Ex-India batter predicts Rohit Sharma's ODI retirement and successor

NEW DELHI: Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has weighed in on the debate over Rohit Sharma’s eventual successor in ODIs, firmly backing Shubman Gill to take over once the veteran opener calls time on his 50-over career.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Kaif believes that the 2027 ODI World Cup will mark Rohit’s final appearance in the format, following his earlier exits from T20Is and Test cricket.“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,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.Gill’s steady rise in the leadership ladder has indeed been remarkable. After Rohit’s final Test series in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the young opener was handed the captaincy reins and guided India to a 2-2 draw in a challenging away series in England, amassing 754 runs with the bat. His IPL consistency and calm presence have further bolstered his credentials.Appointed as vice-captain to Suryakumar Yadav in T20Is, Gill has been recalled to the format for the upcoming Asia Cup after focusing primarily on ODIs and Tests. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained that Gill’s maturity and form made him an obvious choice for leadership grooming."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 had said after announcing the Asia Cup squad.In T20Is, Gill has played 21 matches, scoring 578 runs at an average of 30.42 and a strike rate of 139.27, including a century and three fifties.