Matthew Hayden: Rohit Sharma’s axing is interesting, but India has strong ODI balance

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden called Rohit Sharma’s removal as India’s captain “interesting,” citing age and succession planning for Shubman Gill. He praised India’s blend of youth and experience in ODIs and highlighted fan enthusiasm in Australia.

Hyderabad: Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden said that with Rohit Sharma being axed as captain was an interesting move from afar. After such a great win in the Champions Trophy, he would suppose the selectors were purely looking at the numbers.

“At 38, with a couple of years to go before the World Cup, he becomes a bit vulnerable purely because of his age. The talent and class are always on display, and so is that magnificent body of work, not only in terms of his own performances, but also India’s success as a team,” Hayden said in a chat with JioHotstar.

---

“Very similar to the Virat and Dhoni eras, lots of success. But I guess it’s a bit of an insurance policy to bring on Shubman Gill, ensure he’s in-charge across all formats, and particularly help him learn leadership while Rohit Sharma is still in the dressing room. It would just be a bonus if Rohit makes it to the next World Cup,” Hayden said.

On the prospect of seeing Rohit and Virat back in action, Hayden said that
between Rohit and Virat, I e would be talking about almost 600 international games, an abundance of experience and workload.

” I really think they’ll have a great opportunity to perform on good tracks at the start of the Australian summer. Everyone is very excited to see them Down Under, and I expect them to be at their very best. Thirteen thousand runs for Virat, Rohit averaging nearly 50 in one-day cricket across 273 matches, it’s an exciting prospect,” he said.

On India’s current balance in ODI cricket, Hayden said in his opinion, success in ODI cricket depended on having the right mix of youth and experience and that’s exactly what Team India have.

“The youthful energy of someone like Jaiswal, alongside the experience of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, is vital. The same goes for bowling; you need that young, athletic energy because 50 overs is a long time in the field,” he said.

” India has a great balance right now, a blend of athleticism, passion, and experience. And I’m sure some of the senior players will already have one eye on the 2027 World Cup,” he said.

On the fans’ enthusiasm in Australia, the Aussies great said one thing one could always say about Australian fans was that they absolutely love seeing the very best athletes.

” They’ve celebrated Virat Kohli like their own, and the same goes for Rohit Sharma. The crowds are going to be magnificent. Optus Stadium in Perth is an absolutely stunning venue, and with over a million Indians living and working here, there will be incredible support,” he said.

” They’ll celebrate Virat, they’ll celebrate Rohit, and even though many are Australians, they’ll want to see India win,” Hayden said.