Top 3 Replacements for Rohit Sharma as India’s ODI Opener

Rohit Sharma has been one of India’s best cricket players, especially in white-ball cricket. He has done really well for the team over many years. Recently, he retired from Tests and T20Is and now only plays 50-over matches.

Rohit was recently replaced as India’s ODI captain, with Shubman Gill taking over. But he has still been picked to open the innings in the upcoming ODI series against Australia.

It is not clear if Rohit will play in the 2027 World Cup. Fans and cricket lovers hope to see him there. But at 38, he might not be in India’s plans for much longer. If he retires before the World Cup, these players could open the batting alongside captain Shubman Gill.

Top 3 Replacements for Rohit Sharma as India’s ODI Opener

1. Yashasvi Jaiswal

Yashasvi Jaiswal has been making great progress in the early stages of his international career. He has impressive records in the 25 Tests and 23 T20Is he has played. His powerful and exciting batting has also made him a star in the Indian Premier League.

Despite all this, the team management has hardly given him a chance in the 50-over format, as he has played only one ODI so far. A lot of the times, there has been no valid justification provided for not pushing a player like Jaiswal's case who possesses a List A average of 52.62. The left-handed batter has been picked in the ODI squad for the Australia series.

2. Ishan Kishan

Wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan hasn’t played international cricket since 2023. That year, he was part of the Indian team that ended up as runners-up in the ODI World Cup. Kishan is a left-handed batsman and also keeps wickets, making him a versatile player. Team coach Gautam Gambhir often prioritizes players who can play multiple roles for the team.

His versatility, including his ability to bat in the middle order as well as open the innings, makes him a strong alternative to Rohit Sharma.

3. Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek Sharma has so far played only in T20 Internationals. He has been in brilliant form recently. In India’s victorious Asia Cup 2025 campaign, Abhishek was a key player, scoring 314 runs in seven matches at an impressive strike rate of 200. The southpaw could very well be a part of the 50-over setup, and if he could transform his T20 exploits in the 50-over format, then he will become an even more valuable asset for the team.

Abhishek also tunes in well with Gill since the two have been playing age-group cricket for Punjab since the U-12 days. This makes him an ideal candidate to partner Gill at the top.

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