India, Oct. 5 -- India's ODI captaincy handover to Shubman Gill is a relay, a plan for the future, and not a rupture. Rohit Sharma descends from the role with silverware, a towering win record, and crucially, the dressing room behind him. As Gill gets ready to lead India in Australia, the former captain's methods still frame the 50-over roadmap to 2027.

The plaudits arriving with the transition are loud and specific, and the numbers beneath them are even louder. Rohit Sharma led India in 56 ODI matches with 42 wins, the best by any Indian captain with 50-plus matches, and second only to Clive Lloyd by win percentage with the same qualification bar. Speaking of only ODIs, he has taken the team to the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup and ha...