Rohit Sharma, the quintessential ODI skipper, leaves behind an abiding legacy as a leader of men

Rohit Sharma steps down as India’s ODI captain, leaving a lasting legacy. A detailed comparison with the greatest and contemporary skippers in world cricket.

It was obvious that Shubman Gill will take over India’s ODI captaincy from Rohit Sharma. But so soon, that wasn’t predicted. Just a few months ago, Rohit led India to Champions Trophy triumph in the ODI format. But this achievement was not good enough for Rohit to retain the captaincy. 

BCCI selectors were of the view that India need to rebuild in ODIs, and as this format is played the least now, handing the ODI captaincy to Gill could help him plan for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Nevertheless, Rohit can walk with pride due to the legacy he is leaving behind as one of India’s finest ODI captains. 

Rohit Sharma, second-best ODI skipper ever
A look at Rohit’s record as ODI captain shows that he is only behind West Indies’ Clive Lloyd as the best ODI skipper ever in terms of win/loss ratio. (Minimum 50 ODIs as captain)

Read More: Expectations from India’s new ODI skipper, Shubman Gill

Rohit Sharma, India’s best ODI skipper
Besides, there is no better India skipper in ODIs in terms of win/loss ratio although a World Cup trophy in this format is still missing from his cupboard. For the record, Rohit just fell short when India ended runners-up in the 2023 ODI World Cup, losing the final against Australia after winning all their matches enroute to the final. 

List of top India’s ODI captains in terms of win/loss ratio (Minimum 50 ODIs as captain)

Rohit Sharma leaves all contemporary captains behind
Rohit Sharma has even left behind his contemporary captains that he played against. Even World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan of England could not beat Rohit to the top spot in terms of win/loss ratio.

Here’s how Rohit fares against his contemporaries in terms of win/loss ratio (Minimum 50 ODIs as captain)

Read More: Rohit (1714) & Virat (1710) are the fifth & sixth-highest run-scorers in ODIs from 2023 onwards

What makes Rohit Sharma stand out as skipper in ODI cricket?

Rohit Sharma reinvents ODI cricket
Before being appointed captain, Rohit played risk-free cricket as the opener in the powerplay, accumulating in the middle-overs, and then exploding at the death to play long innings in ODI cricket. This strategy helped Rohit make three double tons in ODIs as the opener. He scored a century every eighth match as a non-captain. 

But when he was handed over the leadership, Rohit took the onus on himself to give India quick starts at the top, throwing caution to the wind, and batting aggressively. Rohit chose to make the most of the powerplay to kill the game in that phase itself, and make it a cakewalk for the batters to follow. The strategy was evident in the 2023 ODI World Cup and paid rich dividends as India steamrolled all opponents till the final, with Rohit leading from the front with the bat. 

Captain Rohit’s conversion rate for centuries was 11 per ODIs up from eight as a non-captain as he moved from accumulator to an aggressive opener. However, the strategy saw India rewrite ODI cricket as it keeps spectators hooked and finishes off the game even before the pedestrian middle-overs kicks in. 

Rohit wasn’t perturbed when he was looking at playing self-less cricket for the team’s cause to make the game a walk in the park after his exploits in the powerplay. This style of batting regenerated fans’ interest who queued to see Rohit slay the opposition attack in the powerplay itself. 

It is this legacy of leading from the front that Rohit, the captain, will be missed for most. He reinvented the ODI set up, to make it more entertaining for the fans, plus make it easy for his men to finish off the game quickly and efficiently. Rohit deserves the credit for taking India’s batting to new heights in ODI cricket with his style of batting as captain.

Read More: Since 2023, India have struck at SR of 100.26 in PP1 in ODIs, bettered only by Australia (107.05)

Rohit zooms as captain
A look at his batting as captain and non-captain show a difference in the strike rate. Earlier, as a pure batter, Rohit’s strike rate hovered in the late 80s. But it was 110 and more as captain, showing how fast and effectively he batted as the opener to kill the game in the powerplay itself. 

Here’s how Rohit has fared as captain and non-captain.

Rohit, the player’s captain
Rohit Sharma always looked in command as the captain on the field. He marshalled his resources well, and ensured there was a match-up between his bowlers and opposition batters when the game was on.

But the best thing about Rohit, the captain, was his ability to hand over jobs to his players, and ensure role clarity. Every player in his tenure as ODI captain was given specific roles to play, and the players responded to his call admirably. 

For example, India chose KL Rahul to bat in the middle-overs, and keep wickets to bring in the much-needed balance to the XI. His handling of bowlers was amazing, as the bowling unit worked together as a team to give the knockout blows to opponents. The 2023 ODI World Cup league stage saw India do this brilliantly as they marched towards the final.

The way ahead
Rohit may not be the captain in ODIs, but his batting will continue to be the X-Factor at the top. His quick starts will give other batters to follow to consolidate and take the game away from the opponents. Rohit needs to be continuously in the good books and score consistently in the few ODIs before the 2027 World Cup to seal the spot for the tournament. 

Handing Gill the captaincy may be the right choice as India need to make plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup. However, Gill has big shoes to fill in as Rohit has left behind a legacy that would be difficult to achieve in the near future. 

Read More: Does Shubman Gill deserve to be India’s T20I opener after an underwhelming Asia Cup 2025?