The debate around India’s captain for the next ODI World Cup in 2027 has already started, even though the tournament is still a couple of years away.
Former India batter Ambati Rayudu has made his stance very clear as he believes Rohit Sharma should continue as skipper.
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According to Rayudu, the kind of confidence and balance Rohit gives to the team cannot be replaced by anyone else.
Ambati Rayudu feel Rohit Sharma is irreplaceable in ODIs
Rayudu explained that Rohit’s batting, his tactical thinking and the calmness he brings as a leader are unmatched.
He added that India must look at one thing only that who can win them the World Cup. For Rayudu, the answer is straightforward- Rohit Sharma.
He stressed that no other player currently in the ODI setup can provide the same trust and confidence to teammates the way Rohit does.
"You need to look at who can win you the World Cup. If Rohit’s captaincy can do that, then he should continue till 2027. There is no one who can replace Rohit in ODIs, his captaincy, his batting & the confidence he gives to players are all extremely important - Rohit must be the captain in the 2027 World Cup," said Rayudu.
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Rohit Sharma performances as captain and batsman in ICC tournaments
Rohit has already guided India to two ICC trophies and also led the side to the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Under his captaincy, India won all their group-stage matches and defeated New Zealand in the semifinal. However, they fell short against Australia in the title clash.
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Rohit’s performances with the bat in World Cups have been superb too. In the 2023 ODI World Cup, he scored 597 runs with a strike rate above 125 and finished as the second-highest run-scorer.
Four years earlier, in 2019, he had an even bigger impact with 648 runs, including five centuries, the most by any batter in a single edition. Even in 2015, he made valuable contributions that took India to the semifinal stage.
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