Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has expressed disappointment that the careers of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are being influenced by “people who have not achieved much” even as discussions continue around the ODI future of the two modern greats. Despite the ongoing speculation, Harbhajan believes both players will remain active until the 2027 ODI World Cup.
At 38 and 37 respectively, Rohit and Kohli now feature exclusively in ODI cricket, prompting debate over whether they can continue until the next World Cup in South Africa, especially with the ODI format losing space in the global calendar.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar have avoided giving clear answers about the duo’s future, though both Rohit and Kohli have offered enough hints that they intend to maintain their place in the setup.
Speaking during an interaction at the DP World ILT20 Season 4, Harbhajan said the situation reminded him of similar experiences from his own playing career.
“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,” he said.
The former off-spinner went further, questioning how individuals with limited achievements are taking decisions about two of India’s finest performers.
“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,” said India’s fourth-highest Test wicket-taker with 417 wickets.
With more than a year left for the next World Cup, Harbhajan is convinced that both senior batters will arrive in peak form and continue setting benchmarks for upcoming players. Kohli has struck consecutive centuries in the ongoing South Africa series, while Rohit has two half-centuries and an unbeaten 121 in his last four innings.
“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,” he added.
Turning to India’s broader cricketing concerns, Harbhajan criticised the nature of pitches prepared at home and urged a shift toward surfaces that offer a fair contest across five days. India have lost five of their last seven home Tests since Gambhir took over, including a 0-2 series defeat to South Africa, their first home loss to the Proteas in 25 years.
Harbhajan said the biggest problem is the kind of tracks produced in the country.
“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.”
He believes the tendency to prepare spinner-friendly surfaces is hurting the development of both batters and bowlers.
“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.”
Bhajji On Tests
Harbhajan added that India’s strength is good enough to win Tests on proper five-day tracks.
“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?”
Referring to the Guwahati Test that lasted the full five days, he said Indian players are no longer accustomed to such conditions because of T20-heavy schedules.
“…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.”
He warned that India will struggle to produce high-quality strike spinners if rank turners continue to dominate.
“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.”
Speaking about ILT20, Harbhajan praised the league and the UAE Cricket Board for widening cricket’s reach in the region.
“This year is even better because some of the players are from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The UAE Cricket Board has done a great job. Not only UAE players but players from other neighbouring countries also come here to play. They get a chance to play with big players. It’s a great opportunity for them,” he said.
