‘Sooryavanshi doesn’t have that’: Ex-India great explains Rohit-Kohli’s big edge

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has defended the continued ODI careers of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, arguing that their performance, rather than age, should determine their place in the team. Speaking to PTI, the 46-year-old spinner drew a comparison with Lionel Messi, highlighting how the football star continued to produce brilliance well into his 30s.

Harbhajan firmly believes that Kohli and Rohit should be allowed to continue playing ODI if they can maintain their fitness and skills. He emphasized that the marker should not be age, but rather the player's ability to perform at the highest level. Just as Messi continued to excel at 39, even though five men failed to stop him, Harbhajan argued that Kohli and Rohit's skills and fitness should take precedence over their age.

He credited Kohli with instilling a winning mentality within the Indian team, particularly during his captaincy from 2014-15. This change in mindset helped the team believe that even seemingly impossible targets could be pursued. Harbhajan noted that Kohli's biggest contribution was changing the team's fitness culture, with around 90% of the credit going to the former India captain.

Harbhajan also expressed confidence in head coach Gautam Gambhir to trust the experience of Kohli and Rohit if they continue meeting the expected standards. He argued that the veteran duo's 300 games of experience far outweighed that of an inexperienced player like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who may still show promise. Ultimately, Harbhajan believes that fitness and performance should be the ultimate criteria for deciding whether Kohli and Rohit remain in the team.