Aakash Chopra said that Rohit Sharma’s place in the fifty-over format will now depend on his performance, given that he is not a captain anymore. The BCCI removed Rohit from captaincy and appointed Shubman Gill as the new skipper for the ODI series against Australia. While Rohit is a part of the squad, he will not call the shots.

Chopra admitted that he was not expecting a big change in the leadership group and mentioned that the records and performance of the team were in favour of Rohit.

“I was not expecting it. We are preparing for an all-format captain, and Shubman Gill was already the captain of the Test captain, and he was also the vice-captain in the Asia Cup,” Aakash said on Star Sports.

“I was not sure, as India won the Champions Trophy under Rohit’s captaincy, and he was the Player of the Match in the final. All things were favouring Rohit, but it seems the preparation for the 2027 World Cup has started,” he added.

Chopra noted that Rohit’s place in the playing XI will depend on his form.

“His place is now form-dependent. When you are a captain, your name is the first one to be written on the team sheet, irrespective of your form. You are asked about the type of team you want. You are the central theme for the selection process.”

“But now, his place is not confirmed. He will have to perform, and that is going to be difficult as he is playing just one format. The ODIs are not played that much now, and there is going to be a big gap between the two series. It is not going to be easy to start scoring runs from the word go. Rohit’s dream of playing in the 2027 World Cup is alive at this point, but I can’t say whether he will be able to be among the runs till 2027,” he concluded.