Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh believes that legends like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will continue to play until the 2027 ODI World Cup, but he finds it a little regrettable that “people who have not achieved much” are deciding their futures.
The 38-year-old Rohit and the 37-year-old Kohli now only play the ODI format, and with the ODI calendar getting smaller throughout the cricket-playing world, there has been a lot of conjecture on whether they will be able to play till the World Cup in South Africa.
Although chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir have not made any firm statements regarding the likelihood, the two players have given plenty of indications that they plan to compete for their spot.
“It is beyond our understanding. I may not be able to answer because I have been a player myself and what I have seen has happened to me as well. It has happened to many of my teammates but it is very unfortunate. We don’t talk about it or have a discussion about it,” Harbhajan, part of the expert commentary panel at the ongoing DP World ILT20 Season 4, said in an interaction in Sharjah.
“I am so happy when I see a player like Virat Kohli who is still going strong. It is a bit unfortunate that those people are deciding about their future who have not achieved much,” India’s fourth-highest Test wicket-taker with 417 scalps added when asked whether the two are being handled well.
Harbhajan has urged Rohit and Kohli to be in commanding form during the showcase and set standards for the upcoming generation, even if more than a year remains until the first ball is bowled at the World Cup.
A slimmer Rohit has amassed two fifties and a 121 not out in his previous four innings, while Kohli has smashed consecutive hundreds at home in the current South Africa series.
“They have always scored runs and have always been great players for India, they have done extremely well as batters and are leaders of the team. I’m so happy for them, they are going very, very strong.
“Not just going strong but setting the example for the younger generation to follow and what it takes to be a champion. So, well done Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for setting the right example,” the 45-year-old added.
Observers of the game are astonished by India’s recent home Test woes.
India has lost five of their previous seven home Test matches since Gambhir was appointed, including their most recent 0-2 loss to South Africa, which was their first home series loss to the Proteas in 25 years.
According to Harbhajan, the quality of home pitches is India’s main worry.
“They have to start playing on good tracks. We don’t give much chance to our batsmen to make runs. If we tour abroad our batsmen have a chance to make runs because the pitch is good for batting. The bowlers have to work hard.
“That is why I think it is high time that the pitches that have been made in the last 10-12 years are very bowler-friendly especially spinner-friendly. Spinners bowl with the new ball. I think somewhere we need to change that trend.
“I feel it is not the right kind of thing to do. Our team is so solid and we have played well in England. We will win even if we play for five days. Why are you looking to play two and half days of Test cricket?” he asked.
On the Guwahati Test, that lasted full five days, he added: “We saw in Guwahati that the pitch was very good but there we didn’t play well on that pitch because we are not used to playing for five days in Test cricket.”
According to Harbhajan, tracks like the one utilized in the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata will exacerbate issues because modern cricketers lack patience due to their excessive exposure to Twenty20 cricket.
“…barring two or three of them, the others don’t really have that much patience anymore. If we will continue to play on such tracks…it is no more interesting for anyone.”
Harbhajan added that India is unable to develop a strike spinner on rank-turners that are under-prepared.
“We have done a lot of bowling, we understand a little bit of cricket which we have learnt in 20 years. I feel it’s high time we start playing on good tracks in India, simple as that.”
