Key Issues Before The Bcci In 2026: Captaincy Conundrum, Gautam Gambhir’s Future, Kohli–Rohit Question And Three World Cups
Mumbai: The year 2025 turned out to be a phase of transition for Indian cricket. Indian men clinched the ODI Champions Trophy and the T20 Asia Cup, while the women’s team lifted the Women’s ODI World Cup and the Women’s Blind World Cup, marking an extraordinary run of success. However, as Indian cricket steps into 2026, several critical and debatable issues now confront the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)—challenges that will be difficult to resolve but equally compelling to follow.
In men’s white-ball cricket—limited-overs formats comprising ODIs and T20Is—India’s overall performance has been strong. However, red-ball cricket (the Test format) has emerged as a major cause for concern.
During 2025, Indian Test cricket lost two of its finest jewels to retirement. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced premature retirements from the longest format. The shock 0–3 home Test defeat against New Zealand in late 2024, followed by losses of 1–3 against Australia and 0–2 against South Africa, cannot be overlooked. Even though India later registered a 2–0 win over West Indies and drew the series 2–2 against England, the biggest question remains: how much longer will the BCCI continue to back head coach Gautam Gambhir?
Shubman Gill’s captaincy is also set to come under scrutiny. While T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav has enjoyed success as a leader, his batting form—like Gill’s—has been a matter of concern. In contrast, despite being close to full retirement after careers spanning over a decade and a half, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continue to perform strongly. Rohit is currently the world No.1 ODI batsman, while Kohli is ranked No.2. India’s position in the World Test Championship (WTC), however, has remained unimpressive for the past two years.
Read More: Golden Era Of Indian Cricket: 2025 Set To End With Eight No.1 Rankings
The 2027 ODI World Cup is still some distance away, and whether Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli can retain their places in the ODI side until then remains to be seen. For now, they remain the twin pillars of India’s ODI team, but the coming months will be decisive in shaping their future. It is possible that, much like MS Dhoni, who continued playing the IPL despite wanting to retire—out of respect for public sentiment—Rohit and Virat may carry on in ODI internationals for another year or two.
The year 2026 will feature three World Cups, making India’s preparation and performance in these tournaments a major talking point:
Men’s Under-19 ODI World Cup – January
Men’s T20 World Cup – February
Women’s T20 World Cup – June