Former India opener and commentator Navjot Singh Sidhu has hit back at a fan on social media for spreading false claims about his alleged comments on the recent ODI captaincy change. The controversy erupted after the fan claimed that Sidhu had advised the BCCI to sack chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir, while reinstating Rohit Sharma as India’s ODI captain.

Sidhu, however, firmly denied making any such statement and called out the user publicly on X (formerly Twitter). Reacting to the post, he wrote, “Never said it, don’t spread fake news, never imagined it. Shame on you.” The 60-year-old’s response quickly gained traction as fans rallied behind him for addressing misinformation directly.

Rohit Sharma’s removal as India’s ODI skipper came as a major surprise to fans and cricket pundits alike. The veteran batter, who led India to the 2023 ODI World Cup final and the 2025 Champions Trophy title, boasts an impressive captaincy record — a 75% win rate in ODIs among captains who have led in at least 50 matches. His leadership was widely regarded as one of the most successful stints in Indian cricket’s recent history.

New captain Shubman Gill, however, endured a tough start to his tenure as India slumped to a seven-wicket loss to Australia in the first ODI at Perth. The rain-hit encounter was reduced to 26 overs per side, where India managed just 136/9, with KL Rahul top-scoring with 38. Australia comfortably chased down the DLS target of 131, led by captain Mitchell. Marsh’s unbeaten 46.

The second ODI between India and Australia is scheduled to be played in Adelaide on Thursday, October 23.