Now Reading: Harbhajan backs Kohli, Rohit for 2027 World Cup, cites Messi
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Harbhajan backs Kohli, Rohit for 2027 World Cup, cites Messi
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has backed Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to play the 2027 ODI World Cup, saying performance, not age, should determine selection. In a PTI podcast, he cited…
The Story in Brief
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has backed Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to play the 2027 ODI World Cup, saying performance, not age, should determine selection. In a PTI podcast, he cited Lionel Messi's exploits for Argentina at age 39 as proof that skill and fitness can outweigh years.
Harbhajan urged head coach Gautam Gambhir to leverage the duo's experience, noting both have played over 300 international games. He credited Kohli with revolutionising India's fitness culture and making the team believe it could chase 400-plus targets. Rohit will turn 40 and Kohli 39 when the tournament is held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
The Indian Opinion
The age debate around Kohli and Rohit is a lazy one. Harbhajan's Messi comparison is fair, but Messi is a once-in-a-generation outlier. India's selectors face a real test: do they trust two ageing stars to peak again in 2027, or blood a Vaibhav Sooryavanshi now? The answer will come from runs against Australia next month, not from the birth certificate.
Sources (2): sports.ndtv.com, rediff.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
