Manoj Tiwary, ex KKR star and former India batter has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to reconsider its leadership call in the ODI format, suggesting that Rohit Sharma should be
reinstated as captain ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
His remarks come in the wake of India's 1-2 ODI series defeat against New Zealand, a result that marked several unwanted firsts for the home side.
The loss was historic for the visitors, as New Zealand secured their maiden ODI series win on Indian soil. India also suffered their first-ever ODI defeat at Indore during the series decider, raising questions around the team's direction under Shubman Gill's leadership. Tiwary believes the setback should prompt the BCCI to reflect on its decision to move Rohit aside as ODI skipper.
"Yes, absolutely. That's what I'm suggesting because there's still time to course correct. It's about the World Cup. It's not just about a bilateral series or a random tournament we are going to play," Tiwary told InsideSport.
He questioned the rationale behind removing Rohit from the role, arguing that India were progressing well under his captaincy and could have fared better against New Zealand had he remained in charge.
"What was the need to remove Rohit Sharma from the captaincy? I'm pretty sure that if Rohit were leading even today in the ODIs, it would have been a different result (New Zealand series) altogether. Because when he won the Champions Trophy, I think the team was going forward in the right direction," he added.
Tiwary further stressed that Rohit's leadership experience gives India a stronger chance of lifting the ODI World Cup. The 38-year-old captain has guided India to major titles in recent years, including the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy.
"Rohit is not a little better than Shubman, but a lot better, currently. That's why he's such a successful captain. You can win it (the World Cup) with Shubman's captaincy, but I'm suggesting comparing the captaincy of both. If Rohit becomes the captain, what is the percentage chance of winning? And if Shubman leads, what is the percentage chance of winning? I think everyone will say that if Rohit is the captain, then there is an 85 to 90 per cent chance of winning the World Cup," Tiwary further said.
Gill's early ODI captaincy record has been mixed. India lost an away series against Australia in October before the recent home defeat to New Zealand. Although India beat South Africa in December, Gill missed that assignment due to injury, with KL Rahul stepping in as captain.
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