Kris Srikkanth opined Rohit Sharma’s place in the team should depend on his fitness, not age, citing MS Dhoni’s continued fitness at 44.
Rohit Sharma’s hard work on fitness and form ahead of the ODI series against Australia paid off. The opener smashed 202 runs in three innings at an average of 101, earning the Player of the Series award despite India’s 1-2 loss. His consistency helped him become the world’s No. 1 ODI batter on October 29, making him the oldest player to achieve the milestone at 38 years and 183 days.
Former captain Kris Srikkanth praised Rohit’s fitness levels and stated that selection should depend on performance, not age. He compared Rohit’s commitment to MS Dhoni’s longevity in professional cricket. Srikkanth also backed Rohit and Virat Kohli to feature in India’s top order for the 2027 World Cup.
“It shows that age alone shouldn’t be a deciding factor. Rohit Sharma is still fit, which is why he performed brilliantly in the 2023 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy. Look at MS Dhoni even now, how fit he is at 44. Even today, look at the way he is keeping and running between the wickets. Can anyone else keep wickets like Dhoni at this age? Impossible. His stumpings are still lightning fast. So it’s only a question of fitness,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
“The ranking is a giveaway that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will definitely play the 2027 World Cup. The top three is surely going to be Rohit, Virat and Shubman Gill (because all three in the top six in the rankings),” he added.
READ ALSO | “Grateful for the Support”: Shreyas Iyer Provides Injury Update
Srikkanth on Importance of Mental Strength
Kris Srikkanth then noted that mental fitness holds greater importance than physical strength in modern cricket.
“One is physical fitness but the other is mental fitness. Being mentally fit is the most important. That’s where I like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and even MS Dhoni. Mentally, they are still fit and want to prove it to the world by winning matches for the team. That’s why they are great cricketers,” the former cricketer concluded.
India’s next 50-over match begins with a three-match ODI series against South Africa, starting November 30.
This article follows WicketWatcher’s editorial standards. Learn more in our Editorial Policy or report an issue via our Corrections Policy.