Team India opener Rohit Sharma’s 13-year-old tweet has gained attention again after he was removed as captain ahead of the ODI series against Australia. On September 14, 2012, the 38-year-old had posted, “End of an era (45) and the start of a new one (77).” While ‘45’ has always been Rohit’s jersey number, ‘77’ was later worn by Shubman Gill, who made his international debut in 2019.
Rohit took over as India’s full-time ODI captain in 2022 but has now been replaced for the upcoming Australia tour. Shubman Gill will lead the side in the 50-over series starting October 19, as selectors aim to set the tone for the 2027 World Cup. Here’s Rohit’s original tweet from September 2012:
“End of an era (45) and the start of a new one (77)”
End of an era (45) and the start of a new one (77) ….. http://t.co/sJI0UIKm
— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) September 14, 2012
With a 75% win rate among captains who have led India in at least 50 ODIs, the stylish right-handed batsman is the most successful ODI skipper in the country’s history. He guided the Men in Blue to the 2023 World Cup final and also to Champions Trophy glory earlier this year.
“That Was The Plan”– Agarkar On Replacing Rohit Sharma As India’s ODI Captain
When questioned about the challenge of parting ways with Rohit Sharma, particularly after the Champions Trophy triumph, chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated that the team had to focus on the future, even though it was a difficult choice. Agarkar told The Indian Express:
“Even if he had not won the Champions Trophy, it would have been a difficult decision because of how good he’s been for India. But you’ve got to sometimes look at what’s coming forward, where you stand as a team, and eventually look at what’s in the best interest of the team, whether it’s now or maybe six months later. Those are the calls that I suppose we are put in place to make.”
“And like I said, it’s tough with one-day cricket at this point because if you’re going to make that call, you want to try and make it reasonably early and give the other guy enough chance to try and get that confidence of leading another format. So that was the idea, but it’s always tough. And someone who’s been very successful, you have to make that decision,” he added.
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