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Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has shared his insights on the future of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in international cricket. In a recent interview with PTI, Harbhajan expressed his belief that both players still have a significant amount of cricket left in them.
Virat Kohli’s fitness and longevity
Harbhajan praised Kohli’s exceptional fitness, stating, “Virat Kohli is probably the fittest guy in the team. You ask any 19-year-old competing with Virat (on fitness). Virat will beat him. He is that fit.”
The veteran spinner believes that Kohli, who is currently 35 years old, can continue playing for India for another five years, thanks to his dedication to fitness.
Rohit Sharma’s potential
As for Rohit, Harbhajan believes the Indian captain can easily play for two more years. “Rohit can easily play for two more years. You never know with Virat Kohli’s fitness, you can see him competing for five years,” Bhajji added.
He further emphasized the importance of Kohli and Sharma’s experience in the Indian team, particularly in Test cricket. “Red ball cricket, you really need these two guys to play a little bit more than what people are asking. You need experience in all formats whether it’s limited overs cricket and Test cricket. You need experienced cricketers to nurture the talent that is coming up.”
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Youngsters’ hunger compared to seniors
The former off-spinner also highlighted the hunger and determination of younger players compared to their more experienced counterparts. “I always believe that youngsters have much more hunger than the seniors. If you play for 15 years your hunger a little bit comes down.
“It was great to see Riyan Parag given a chance. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill have done well.”
Kohli and Sharma announced their retirement from T20 internationals after leading India to victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, where they defeated South Africa in the final at Barbados. As they continue to excel in other formats, Harbhajan’s predictions offer a glimpse into the potential longevity of these two cricketing legends in the Indian team.