13 August,2026 03:03 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Harbhajan Singh wants Rohit and Virat to play ODI World Cup 2027 (File Pic)
Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh believes veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should be backed to feature in next year's ODI World Cup, drawing comparisons with football icon Lionel Messi and his impressive performance at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
In an interview with PTI, the 46-year-old insisted that the veteran duo bring unmatched experience that younger talents cannot replicate.
"Whoever the player is, I believe the marker should be performance, not age," Harbhajan said.
"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 praised Virat Kohli for revolutionising the Indian dressing room's mindset, particularly regarding run chases and fielding standards during his captaincy era.
"This change was first brought in by Virat Kohli when he became the captain in 2014-15. Before that, we wouldn'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 the last innings.' 'If we have to get 10 wickets on the last day, we will go for it. The winning mentality and not settling for a draw is what Virat Kohli got," he remembered.
"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.
He urged head coach Gautam Gambhir to rely on their proven track record of Rohit and Virat for the big tournament next year.
"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.
"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.
(With inputs from ANI)
