Cricketer Rohit Sharma Becomes First Indian Captain to Be Dropped Mid-Series Due to Poor Form

For the first time in the history of Indian cricket, a captain has been dropped from an ongoing series due to poor batting performance.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma, who managed to score only 31 runs despite multiple changes in the batting order, was rested for the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney, starting today.

Rohit was replaced by Shubman Gill for the Sydney Test.

The decision to drop a captain from the series has raised significant questions about the importance and responsibility of the captaincy role. It also sparked comparisons and discussions about the differences between a team captain and other players.

Former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu commented, “A captain should never be dropped mid-series, nor should they be given the option to opt out, as it sends the wrong signals. We’ve seen captains like Mark Taylor and Mohammad Azharuddin persist as captains for a year despite bad form. Rohit Sharma deserved more respect and faith from the management. This is bizarre because it’s the first time in Indian cricket history. A blunder for a fallen lighthouse is more dangerous than a reef!”

Reports suggest that the atmosphere in the dressing room was tense after India’s loss in the 4th Test at the MCG.

At the toss, India’s stand-in captain, Jasprit Bumrah, explained that Rohit had taken the unselfish decision to rest. Bumrah referred to Rohit as "our captain" and emphasized the unity within the Indian team.

"Obviously, our captain has shown his leadership as well. He's opted to rest for this game, which shows that there's a lot of unity in our team. There's no selfishness whatever is in the team's best interest, we are looking to do that. We’ve made two changes: Rohit has rested, Akash Deep is injured, and Prasidh Krishna is in," Bumrah said during the toss at the SCG.

On the other hand, former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar was shocked by the decision and said he had never seen anything like it in his career. Gavaskar questioned if this was the first time in Indian cricket history that a captain had opted to rest from a match.

"Yes, I think so. This is such an important Test match, and they don’t want anything to distract them. Sharma, obviously, is the captain and is often a selector, coach, and manager at times. They must have had that conversation, and looking at his form, he decided it was better for Gill to come in," Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

“I think India is a little bit different in this sense. You don’t normally see this. This is probably the first time I recall a captain opting not to play. I’ve dropped myself down the order as a captain when I wasn’t scoring runs," he added.

On Day 1 of the fifth Test, Team India elected to bat first but could only manage 185 runs in the first innings. In the last session, Captain Bumrah took the first wicket of Usman Khawaja, and Day 1 ended in Sydney with India’s bowlers in action.​