Shubman Gill remains silent on Rohit Sharma's ODI future after flop show against Afghanistan

India's ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill has chosen not to give any clarity on Rohit Sharma’s future in the 50-over side, even as questions continue to grow around team selection ahead of India’s next assignments leading up to the 2027 Cricket World Cup.

After India’s series win over Afghanistan, Gill was asked about the batting combination and whether Rohit would continue to play a central role going forward. However, the skipper avoided giving a direct answer, saying the team will take decisions based on squad availability and conditions.

“I mean, it is a good kind of headache having all the players that are performing… we will see the squad, and then we will have the best XI to put out,” Gill said after the third ODI in Chennai.

Rohit Sharma's opener slot in danger

The series itself saw strong performances from several top-order batters. Gill was in excellent form and finished as Player of the Series with 238 runs, including a brilliant 154 in the second ODI in Lucknow. Yashasvi Jaiswal also made a strong statement with an unbeaten ton in the third ODI, sharing a 170-run opening partnership with Rohit. Ishan Kishan impressed earlier in the series with a hundred in the second ODI.

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India’s next ODI assignment will be against England, with the squad expected to be announced in the coming days. As of now, Rohit Sharma place at the top looks under threat after other players came up with brilliant performances. Rohit has already retired from Test and T20Is and only plays 50-over cricket for India. He has expressed his desire to lead India in the 2027 World Cup on several occasions.

However, Rohit was removed as captain after India’s 2025 Champions Trophy win and Gill was handed the mantle. The Gautam Gambhir-led team management and Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee have made it clear that everyone will have to remain fit and perform well to keep their place in the squad, including the seniors.

Meanwhile, it was reported that all-rounder Hardik Pandya will miss out on the England series as well after failing to recover in time. An update on Virat Kohli’s fitness is yet to come, but the veteran batter is expected to feature in the England series after missing the Afghanistan ODIs due to injury. Kohli has also retired from other formats and now plays only in ODIs.