Will Rohit Sharma be part of the playing 11 in the Australia tour?

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Will Rohit Sharma be part of the playing 11 in the Australia tour?: Former Indian selector Saba Karim has questioned the inclusion of veteran Rohit Sharma in the Indian team for the three-match ODI series against Australia starting October 19. The BCCI has announced a 15-member squad, marking Rohit's return to the team for the first time since India's 2025 Champions Trophy win.

However, Rohit has been removed from the captaincy and Shubman Gill has been appointed the new captain. Saba Karim has questioned Rohit's place in the team following his removal from the captaincy and hinted that the selectors may not be considering him for the 2027 ODI World Cup. He also called the decision sudden and unnecessary.

If he's not the captain, why keep him in the team? – Saba Karim

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Saba Karim said, "If you haven't made him the captain, then why keep him in the team? It's clear that you don't see him as part of the future, that he won't be in the team for the 2027 World Cup."

In that case, you shouldn't keep a player in the team if you don't consider him part of your plans for 2027. Whether he remains the captain or not, or even a player, doesn't matter. That's why I said the selectors acted too hastily with Rohit Sharma, and there was no need for it."

We'll see Gill captaining all three formats: Karim

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Karim said, "You've promoted him and even made him the vice-captain in T20. Now that you've made him the captain, the thinking is that very soon, perhaps by next season, we'll see Shubman Gill captaining all three formats."

"Looking at it that way, their thinking seems correct. They feel there's no other capable captain, so they're currently promoting Shubman. He's shown good leadership skills, performing well in Test cricket as well. Now we'll see how he performs in ODIs, but yes, he has the potential to be a captain."

Also Read: Top 5 most successful ODI captains of India, Greatest Leaders

Will Rohit Sharma be part of the playing 11 vs AUS?

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Rohit Sharma's inclusion in the team may be assured due to his stature, but with the removal of the captaincy and questions about his future plans, the question remains whether he will be included in the playing 11 for all three matches against Australia.

The selection committee decided to retain experienced players like Rohit and Virat Kohli in the team, but the manner in which the captaincy change has been made clearly indicates that Team India is now looking ahead to the 2027 World Cup and focusing on grooming Shubman Gill as a future captain. Consequently, Rohit's role on the Australia tour may be limited to that of an experienced batsman.

Also Read: Which state in India produces the most cricketers, Top 5 List

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