Former cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes that the 2027 ODI World Cup could be India's ODI captain Rohit Sharma's swansong.
He predicted that Shubman Gill, who was recently appointed as the captain of the Test side, will succeed Rohit.
Gill, who has made a comeback to India's T20I squad for the Asia Cup, replacing Axar Patel as vice-captain, is expected to captain India in all three formats in the near future.
Rohit retired from the longest format after the nightmarish tour of Australia earlier this year and Gill, who was handed the mantle, led India to a memorable 2-2 draw in the five-match series in England.
Gill was in terrific form in England, racking up 754 runs to be the highest run-getter of the series.
Amid Gill's ascendency to leadership roles, there have been speculations about Rohit's future after he called it quits from T20I and Test formats.
Notably, Rohit has not played much cricket since India's triumphant Champions Trophy campaign in February-March.
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Gill was a notable absentee in India's T20 World Cup-winning squad last year. However, he was named captain when a young Indian side toured Zimbabwe for a five-match series.
After the conclusion of the series, Gill was seen plying his trade mostly in ODIs and Tests. The Asia Cup will be Gill's first T20I assignment since July 2024.
During the Asia Cup squad announcement, chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained why Gill was elevated to the vice-captain's role.
"We obviously see some leadership qualities in him. And his form in England was what we were hoping for. He exceeded all our expectations with the kind of form that he showed with his bat, which is a great sign when there is so much pressure on you as a captain," Agarkar said.
In 21 T20Is, Gill has tallied 578 runs at an average of 30.42 and a strike rate of 139.27. He has a century and three fifties under his belt with the best score being 126 not out.
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