Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has opened up on the veteran Indian batting duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Notably, both Kohli and Rohit have retired from Tests and T20I cricket.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaif reacted to the Indian captain Shubman Gill’s statement about the importance of having the experience of veterans at the ICC ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
“Gill, the captain, had given a statement which I liked. He was reluctant to talk about it before, but his recent statement, where he said we need Rohit and Virat’s experience in South Africa and that they are important for the team, I liked it. Sometimes, it is the captain who runs the team, not the coach or selectors. I think he realised at the right time, and now I don’t think each series will be a test for them. There is clarity now after the captain’s statement. Maybe he would not have said it; both of them scored runs and answered the questions with their performance,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
While Kohli scored 384 runs in six ODI innings in the ongoing calendar year at an average of 64 with a century and three half-centuries, Rohit scored 379 runs in nine innings at an average of 42.11 with a century and a half-century. Further, Kaif reckoned that he would rate Kohli slightly ahead of Rohit based on their form.
“If they get out, the questions will still be there. But after this statement, I feel both will play, both are needed. I don’t think Virat has been in such solid form before. The 10-12 innings, he is scoring 100s and 60s and 70s. He is showing that he is at his peak even at 37. Rohit also scored a hundred at Lord’s. I keep Virat slightly ahead as he is in solid form. But both of them have done well and have answered the questions. It is the right way to set an example,” he added.
