Former India captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has shed light on why Rohit Sharma was chosen to succeed Virat Kohli as India’s captain.
After taking over from Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli led India across all formats from 2017 before stepping down from T20Is and ODIs in 2021, and later relinquishing Test captaincy in 2022. Rohit then assumed leadership in white-ball formats in 2021and became Test captain in 2022.
Rohit’s successful track record with MI
Speaking about the transition, Ganguly revealed that the decision was influenced by Kohli’s apparent lack of interest in continuing as captain, especially across formats. He added that Rohit’s successful track record with Mumbai Indians – where he won multiple titles – made him the ideal candidate.
Sourav Ganguly also praised Rohit’s leadership, highlighting his ability to guide the team to major successes, including the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy. He described Rohit as not only a top performer but also a leader who earns strong respect from younger players.
“Rohit Sharma is India’s most famous captain. I was the board’s president at that time. I was the president and Jay Shah was the secretary. We thought he would be the best captain at that time. Rohit Sharma was the best replacement at that time. He won the IPL for the Mumbai Indians 4-5 times. He was chosen because of that. Rohit Sharma took India’s cricket to the next level.
“Not only because of his batting, but also because of his captaincy. He is such a captain that the players say that Rohit Sharma was very good. That is very important. When you don’t remain a captain, your colleagues and players will say that Rohit Sharma is a very good captain,” Rohit told TV9.
Rohit later stepped down from T20Is after the 2024 World Cup win, with Suryakumar Yadav taking over. In 2025, he retired from Test cricket, and Shubman Gill was appointed captain in Tests and ODIs. Rohit now continues to play only as an ODI player.
Rohit Sharma’s Captaincy Record (International)
Matches: 128
Wins: 95 | Losses: 30
Win Rate: 74%
By Format:
Tests: 24 (12 wins)
ODIs: 56 (42 wins, 75%)
T20Is: 62 (49 wins, 79%)
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