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Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh believes Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should continue playing ODI cricket as long as they are performing well and remain fit.
Harbhajan feels age should not be the main factor when deciding the future of experienced players. According to him, performance on the field should matter more than the number of years a player has played.
“If Lionel Messi can continue playing, why can’t Kohli and Rohit?" wondered Harbhajan, backing the two talismanic veterans to feature in next year’s ODI World Cup if they have the desire and conviction to carry on.
Speaking to PTI in a podcast interview at its headquarters, Harbhajan discussed the growing debate around Rohit and Kohli continuing as one-format players despite being in their late 30s.
“Whoever the player is, I believe the marker should be performance, not age," Harbhajan said.
Harbhajan pointed to Lionel Messi as an example of how experienced athletes can continue performing at the highest level despite their age. Messi, at 39, recently helped Argentina reach the FIFA World Cup final with a series of impressive performances.
“Virat may be 39, but if he is still beating those 20-year-old guys on the field, it (his age) does not matter. Look at Lionel Messi. At 40 (39), five men fail to stop him," Harbhajan said.
He also praised Kohli for changing the mindset of the Indian team during his time as captain. Harbhajan believes Kohli helped create a stronger belief within the dressing room, especially when it came to chasing difficult targets.
According to Harbhajan, Kohli also played a major role in improving fitness standards in Indian cricket. He said Kohli made him realise that he could push himself much further than he had previously believed.
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“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 could go for a chase of 400 on the final day," Harbhajan said.