Harbhajan Singh lashes out at critics over Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s non-committal remarks
Former Indian cricket player Harbhajan Singh believes it is unfortunate that "people who have not achieved much in their respective careers" are making decisions on the futures of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He also anticipates that the two would continue to play ODIs until the 2027 ODI World Cup.
After Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s retirements from the T20I and Tests, many thought the legendary Indian duo would say goodbye to ODIs soon. However, Rohit and Virat are still playing ODIs. Rohit and Virat are both currently playing against South Africa in a 3-match ODI home series. While ahead of this, both featured in the 3-match ODI series against Australia.
In Australia, Virat got 2 consecutive ducks in the first two matches, but after this, he played an unbeaten 74-run innings in the 3rd ODI. In the ongoing India vs South Africa 3-match ODI series, he has hit 2 consecutive centuries in the first 2 ODIs, which shows his hunger for cricket.
On the other hand, Rohit Sharma was the leading run scorer on the Australia Tour. He scored 202 runs in three innings, including a century and a half-century. In the first ODI against South Africa, he also scored a half-century. He didn’t score too much in the 2nd ODI. He was dismissed after scoring 13 runs.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar have repeatedly maintained for the past few months that Rohit and Virat are non-committal for the 2027 World Cup. Still, Rohit and Virat are constantly fighting for their place in the ODI series.
“It is beyond our understanding. I may not be able to answer because I have been a player myself, and what I have seen has happened to me as well. It has happened to many of my teammates, but it is very unfortunate. We don't talk about it or have a discussion about it," Harbhajan, part of the expert commentary panel at the ongoing DP World ILT20 Season 4, said in an interaction here.
"I am so happy when I see a player like Virat Kohli who is still going strong. It is a bit unfortunate that those people are deciding about their future who have not achieved much," India's fourth-highest Test wicket-taker with 417 scalps added when asked whether the two are being handled well.”
Additionally, Harbhajan backed Rohit Sharma and Kohli's current form. He believes they are consistently setting benchmarks for youngsters, which will benefit Indian cricket in the future.
"They have always scored runs and have always been great players for India; they have done extremely well as batters and are leaders of the team. I'm so happy for them; they are going very, very strong.
"Not just going strong but setting the example for the younger generation to follow and showing what it takes to be a champion. So, well done, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, for setting the right example," the 45-year-old added.
