Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh believes Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should be allowed to continue their ODI careers and target next year’s World Cup if they retain the desire and fitness to do so, insisting that performance rather than age must determine their place in the team.
Speaking to PTI, the 46-year-old former off-spinner weighed in on the ongoing discussion over the future of the two Indian veterans, who are now playing only one format. Harbhajan also revealed that his autobiography is complete and is likely to be released later this year.
Harbhajan drew a comparison with Lionel Messi while making the case for Rohit and Kohli. Messi, at 39, led Argentina to the final of the recent football World Cup, producing moments of individual brilliance throughout the tournament. Rohit will be 40 and Kohli 39 when the 2027 ODI World Cup is played in South Africa. Harbhajan believes their age should not become a deciding factor if they continue to perform at the highest level.
"Whoever the player is, I believe the marker should be performance, not age," Harbhajan said.
He feels the expectations surrounding Kohli and Rohit would be significantly greater than those on an inexperienced player such as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, even though the teenager has already shown the ability to attack international bowlers.
"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 reasoned.
Harbhajan also credited Kohli with changing India's approach towards winning, particularly during his time as captain from 2014-15 onwards. According to the former spinner, Kohli helped the team develop the belief that even seemingly impossible targets could be pursued rather than settling for draws.
"This change was first brought in by Virat Kohli when he became the captain in 2014-15. Before that we won't think that we can go for a chase of 400 on the final day. Virat told the boys, 'let's at least try. We might lose but if we keep trying one day we will surpass that 400 plus in last innings.'"
"If we have to get 10 wickets on last day, we will go for it. The winning mentality and not settle for draw is what Virat Kohli got," he remembered.
Kohli's impact, Harbhajan added, extended beyond tactics and results. He believes the former India captain was the biggest driving force behind the team's fitness transformation.
"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," Harbhajan pointed out.
The former spinner therefore feels India head coach Gautam Gambhir should trust the experience of Rohit and Kohli if they continue to meet the required standards.
"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 explained.
Harbhajan, who finished his international career with 416 Test wickets and 269 ODI wickets, maintained that fitness and performances should ultimately decide whether the veteran duo remain in contention.
"Fitness is a priority, and your performance matters. Performance is the ultimate criterion. So if these two score runs and can match the fitness of a Shreyas (Iyer) or a Yashasvi (Jaiswal), then nothing else matters," Harbhajan declared.
The former India spinner also believes Rohit and Kohli themselves will know when their bodies and performances indicate that it is time to step away.
"Rohit and Virat will get their answer from within. You realise when you have reached that phase where you need to call time," he said. Harbhajan officially announced his retirement in December 2021, although his last Test appearance had come much earlier, in 2015 at Galle.
