Mohammad Kaif believes that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are determined to play ODI cricket for as long as they can and would not let anybody else dictate terms. The former India batter dropped a bombshell, claiming that some selectors are also hoping for the historic pair to fail.
Kohli and Rohit illuminated each other in the third One-Day international of the series with Australia on Saturday, October 25, at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Rohit thumped an undefeated 121 out of 125 balls and Kohli remained undefeated with 74 out of 81 balls. Their unbroken 168 run string 169 balls had enabled India to hit a 237-run target in 38.3 overs, and leave nine wickets unschallenged.
“In the back of their mind, they know that people are waiting for them to fail. There are selectors and some media people. Ab to zid bhi hai Virat Kohli ki, Rohit Sharma ki (both of them are determined). Look at their face, they appeared focused but calm. They have that extra determination. They will be determined to go on their terms in this format and not to give anyone a chance to remove them from the team,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
Kaif believes that Rohit and Kohli would be important players to the Indian team during the 2027 ODI world cup. The former star cricketer who in turn became an expert, uncovered that the senior batsmen possessed the skill to perform in the rapid and jumping wickets of South Africa, one of three countries that would host the high profile tournament.
“In South Africa, it is a must to have Rohit and Virat in the squad because of the experience they bring along. You need Rohit Sharma on South Africa’s bouncy track. Same with Virat. He plays well on fast, bouncy strips. Rohit Sharma has shown that age is just a number. You only fix things when they’re broken. People support Rohit and Virat because they know they haven’t done anything wrong.”
Mohammad Kaif
