I have said multiple times in the past, that if there is one format where Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli can still make a serious difference, it is the 50-over one. While Kohli is the greatest to have played the 50-over game, Rohit too has been stellar, and was perhaps the most impactful Indian batter in the 2023 World Cup on home soil. Additionally, Kohli is a livewire on the field and saves a few extra runs in every game.
Each time I have said this on my show, the comment has been met with strange responses. A huge number of Kohli fans abused me, asking how I dared to discuss Rohit on equal terms with their idol. ‘Rohitians’, on the other hand, started accusing Kohli of being selfish. Frankly, it was bizarre. Rohit, for the record, played some of his best cricket under Kohli’s captaincy. His five hundreds in the 2019 World Cup were under Kohli’s leadership, and he was India’s best batter in England.
Kohli too scored the most runs in a World Cup under Rohit’s captaincy, and was the player of the tournament in 2023. In sum, both gave their absolute best when the other was captain, and tried to serve the team in the best way possible. And yet, the fans don’t seem to get that point. Rohit and Kohli together led India’s campaign in 2023, and without contributions from both – and, of course, the bowlers, not to forget KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer – India wouldn’t have won 10 games on the trot.
The fact that Rohit was able to give the starts made it possible for Kohli to bat the way he did. And the fact that Kohli was in sublime form allowed Rohit to take the chances at the start of the innings.
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Going into the Champions Trophy, this is the one format where both these stars can still make a difference. Age is no longer relevant in sport, and all that matters is form. And that’s why the three-match ODI series against England that starts today is hugely important. Whether Rohit scored in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy or whether Kohli failed to correct his outside-off-stump flaw in Test cricket doesn’t matter. What does is if they get runs in the next three games, for that’s what will give them the necessary confidence before traveling to Dubai.
The Champions Trophy, just two weeks away now, is an opportunity for these two players. And their fans. In the interest of Indian cricket, it would be nice to see Rohitians and Viratians call a truce for some weeks. By abusing the other, they get nowhere. And with such slander, they disgrace themselves. Indian cricket can do better, and both Rohit and Kohli deserve better.
Yet again, I repeat, we need both Rohit and Kohli to score runs if India are to have a chance in the Champions Trophy. The three games starting today allow them the platform to get back to form and spend time in the middle. If they fail, it will only add to the pressure going into the game against Pakistan. Anyone who says things to the contrary is perhaps doing so with a bias that the sport can do without.
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