Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh backed veteran batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, presenting a solid argument for them. Singh claimed that age should not be considered a factor while thinking of the 2027 ODI World Cup and contemplating if the Ro-Ko duo could play in it. He brought up the example of Argentine great Lionel Messi and weighed in that if a 39-year-old Messi can guide the side to reach the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, nothing can stop the Indian stars from making an impact in the upcoming marquee tournament.
"Whoever the player is, I believe the marker should be performance, not age," Singh told PTI. "Virat may be 39 but if he is still beating those 20-year-old guys on the field, it (his age) doesn't matter. Look at Lionel
Messi. At 40 (39), five men fail to stop him. If a player has that kind of fitness and skill where even five opponents can't keep him at bay, then we know that skill always takes precedence," he added.
Harbhajan Singh Credits Virat Kohli For Transforming Team’s Fitness
The former bowler-turned-politician credited Virat Kohli for bringing a transformation to the team regarding fitness. He admitted that it was Kohli who made everyone believe that fitness can help them improve on-field performance. "But his biggest contribution was bringing in fitness culture. 90 per cent credit for creating the fitness revolution goes to Kohli. My idea of fitness was endurance but Virat made this team believe that if you are fit, you can fly around," Singh said about the former India skipper.
"If I were the coach, my job would be to give them the platform as my expectations from Rohit and Virat would be much higher than what I expect from a Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. These two have that experience. They have experience of 300 games which Sooryavanshi won't have. Yes, a Sooryavanshi can walk in and blast bowlers but Virat and Rohit have the experience," he stated.
Notably, Singh, who appeared in 103 Test matches, 236 ODI games and 28 T20I for India, officially announced his retirement in 2021.
