Harbhajan Singh has given a strong and clear message. He wants everyone to stop questioning Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s future in ODI cricket. He defended both players with confidence. He said they remain important for India and deserve full respect for their achievements and performances.
Harbhajan’s comments came during the ILT20, where he spoke to the media. He looked frustrated with the constant debate around Rohit and Kohli’s ODI roles. He felt the criticism is unfair and comes from people who have not achieved much in cricket themselves. He reminded everyone that both players continue to perform at a high level.
Rohit is 38. Kohli is 37. Many feel their ages should end the conversation. But Harbhajan believes otherwise. He said age does not matter when the players remain fit, hungry, and consistent. He praised both for their passion and commitment. He believes they will continue until the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.
Harbhajan Singh attacks unfair criticism
Harbhajan did not hide his emotions. He called the criticism unnecessary and disrespectful. He said this kind of questioning has happened to many Indian greats in the past as well. He used his own experience to highlight how painful such discussions can be for players.
“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,” Harbhajan said.
Harbhajan also pointed to the recent performances of both stars. Kohli scored back-to-back centuries in the home series against South Africa. He looked hungry and sharp. Rohit, too, looked fitter and scored consistently, including a brilliant 121 not out. Harbhajan said this shows that greatness does not fade with age. It grows stronger when the desire remains.
He called Rohit and Kohli “leaders by example.” He said young players should watch them closely and learn how champions train and prepare.
“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,” Harbhajan added.
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Concerns about Indian pitches
Harbhajan then shifted to another important issue. He expressed deep concern about the condition of pitches in India. He said Indian surfaces have become too bowler-friendly, especially for spinners. He felt these pitches do not allow batters to play long innings. They do not help bowlers grow either because the conditions are too easy for spin.
He said spinners bowling with the new ball is not a healthy trend. He believes this stops the development of real strike spinners. He also said batters lose confidence because they cannot build innings on difficult tracks.
Harbhajan urged ground authorities and the cricket board to rethink their approach. He asked for more balanced pitches. He wants surfaces that help both batters and bowlers. He said Indian players perform better abroad because they get better batting tracks.
“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. 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. 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?” Harbhajan concluded.
