Former chief selector MSK Prasad backs veteran duo for quadrennial showpiece in South Africa two years from now; says their experience will be key for India
Rohit Sharma (left) and Virat Kohli during the third T20I against Australia in Sydney on Sunday. Pic/AFP
Former Indian chief selector MSK Prasad has expressed confidence in Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s continued value to the Indian team, saying the veteran duo will be huge assets for the Men in Blue in the 2027 ODI World Cup.
The two batting stalwarts were at their free-flowing best, delivering a formidable display to guide India to a nine-wicket win in the third ODI against Australia to avoid a series whitewash.
Rohit (121 not out) picked up from his impressive outing in Adelaide and played an even more chanceless knock, notching up his 33rd ODI hundred. The former India skipper is third on the list for most hundreds in the format, behind Kohli (51) and Sachin Tendulkar (49).
Records still tumble
Meanwhile, Kohli, who had been dismissed for successive ducks in the first two ODIs, got back among the runs with a valuable unbeaten 74. His knock saw him leap past Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-getter in men’s ODIs history. Currently boasting 14,255 runs from 305 matches, Kohli is only behind Sachin Tendulkar in the all-time tally.
MSK Prasad
“I am extremely happy — I was really looking forward to their performances in the first two matches. Unfortunately, that did not happen, but I am thrilled that it finally did, and it is very important. As you head towards the World Cup, you need their services. People like Virat and Rohit Sharma will be big assets for the side,” Prasad said.
“I don’t really see people looking at them based on their current form. What they have done in the past, Rohit
has become fit, and Virat is fit as always. So testing those people is, like, hah, very difficult to answer! They have got 83 or 84 hundreds between them, and if you want to test them, it is something surprising to me,” he said.
Prasad also highlighted India’s depth in the shortest format, noting that even players like Shreyas Iyer have struggled to find a place in the squad, underscoring the strength of the current talent pool. “In fact, we have so many players waiting in the wings. Shreyas has not found a place in the T20 squad, which speaks volumes about the talent pool we have.
Too much firepower in T20s
“It is definitely debatable whether he is there or not, but I think he should be there. That’s the secondary thing. We have enough firepower in our T20 side and have a solid team,” the former chief selector said.
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