If Messi can, why can't Kohli and Rohit? Harbhajan Singh backs veterans for 2027 World Cup

If Lionel Messi can continue to dominate at 39, why can't Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma do the same? Spinner Harbhajan Singh believes the two veterans can feature in next year's ODI World Cup if they retain the desire and fitness to carry on.

In a podcast interview with PTI at its headquarters, the 46-year-old former India off-spinner weighed in on the ongoing debate over Rohit and Kohli's future in the 50-over format. He also revealed that his autobiography is ready and is likely to be released later this year.

Harbhajan said age should not determine a player's place in the team, with performance remaining the key benchmark.


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"Whoever the player is, I believe the marker should be performance, not age," Harbhajan said.

He argued that Kohli and Rohit would enter the World Cup carrying significantly greater expectations than an exciting but relatively inexperienced youngster such as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

With Rohit set to turn 40 and Kohli 39 during the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, Harbhajan said their determination could allow them to replicate what Messi achieved at the recent football World Cup.

"Virat may be 39 but if he is still beating those 20-year-old guys on the field, it (his age) doesn't matter. Look at Lionel Messi. At 40 (39), five men fail to stop him. If a player has that kind of fitness and skill where even five opponents can't keep him at bay, then we know that skill always takes precedence," he reasoned.

Harbhajan also credited Kohli with transforming India's mindset and instilling the belief that even daunting targets could be chased down.

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"This change was first brought in by Virat Kohli when he became the captain in 2014-15. Before that we won't think that we can go for a chase of 400 on the final day. Virat told the boys, 'let's at least try. We might lose but if we keep trying one day we will surpass that 400 plus in last innings.'

"'If we have to get 10 wickets on last day, we will go for it. The winning mentality and not settle for draw is what Virat Kohli got," he remembered.

He said Kohli's biggest impact, however, was on the team's fitness culture.

"But his biggest contribution was bringing in fitness culture. 90 per cent credit for creating the fitness revolution goes to Kohli. My idea of fitness was endurance but Virat made this team believe that if you are fit, you can fly around," Harbhajan pointed out.

Given their experience, Harbhajan said India head coach Gautam Gambhir should give Rohit and Kohli the opportunity to prove themselves rather than focusing solely on younger options.

"If I were the coach, my job would be to give them the platform as my expectations from Rohit and Virat would be much higher than what I expect from a Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. These two have that experience. They have experience of 300 games which Sooryavanshi won't have. Yes, a Sooryavanshi can walk in and blast bowlers but Virat and Rohit have the experience," he explained.

Harbhajan stressed that fitness and performances should ultimately decide their places in the squad.

"Fitness is a priority, and your performance matters. Performance is the ultimate criterion. So if these two score runs and can match the fitness of a Shreyas (Iyer) or a Yashasvi (Jaiswal), then nothing else matters," Harbhajan declared.

The former off-spinner, who took 416 Test and 269 ODI wickets during his career, said players eventually know when their bodies are no longer able to sustain the demands of international cricket.

"Rohit and Virat will get their answer from within. You realise when you have reached that phase where you need to call time," he said.

Harbhajan officially retired in December 2021, although his last Test came in 2015 in Galle. He recalled how Dinesh Chandimal's attack on him during that match made him realise that his red-ball career was nearing its end.

"You realise that once you have reached a stage where if you want to survive, you have to work harder than before. You are in your mid-30s and you can't be expected to do what you did as an 18 or 20-year-old.

"At that stage, you are someone with 400 Test wickets and you are expected to perform at that level. A lot of players can recover from a dip in performance. But there would be another lot which would feel 'That's it, I can't stretch it any longer'," he said.

"If you have it in you, no harm in pushing but if it is otherwise, then one should listen to one's body."

Harbhajan also acknowledged that the emergence of Ravichandran Ashwin as a successful off-spinner made his own return to the team increasingly difficult.

"Ashwin was already doing well... You have to accept the reality that this guy (Ashwin) is doing well. If I had to beat Ashwin, I would have had to start from scratch and work as much as I had worked for those first 400 wickets. Could I have done it? The answer came from within that I can't," he said candidly.

On India's preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup, Harbhajan said there was no reason to worry about the final squad with a year still remaining.

"When you have too many options, that can also be a problem although it is good to have options. Now when it comes to the ODI World Cup, I believe six months prior to the event, the team management should be clear about the core team and players should know what their role is," he said.