NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has backed Indian stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, rejecting narratives suggesting they should be phased out of the ODI setup. He insisted the duo remains vital to India’s plans and should continue until the 2027 ODI World Cup, according to a report published on Monday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“It’s a fact that Virat and Rohit are the backbone of the Indian batting line-up, and the way they have played in the recent ODI series, it can confidently be said that they can play until the 2027 World Cup,” Afridi said.
Afridi added that both should feature primarily in high-profile matches. “You need to preserve both these stars, and when India is playing against a weaker team, they can try some new players and rest Virat and Rohit,” he said.The former all-rounder also criticised India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir, with whom he shared frosty on-field moments during their playing careers. “The way Gautam started his stint, it looked like he thought that what he thinks and says is right, but after some time, it was proved that you are not always right.”Afridi also expressed joy over Rohit surpassing his ODI six-hitting record. “Records are meant to be broken, and this too is now bettered. I am happy that a player whom I have always liked has broken this record.”“My record of fastest century stood for nearly 18 years, but it was finally broken, so records are set by one player and another player comes and breaks it. This is cricket.”Rohit went past Afridi’s tally of 351 ODI sixes during India’s second ODI against South Africa in Raipur and now stands at 355 from 279 games. Reflecting on his association with Rohit during the 2008 IPL season, Afridi recalled: “I played alongside Rohit for the Deccan Chargers in my only Indian Premier League (IPL) season in 2008, and at that time, I liked him.“During practice sessions of the Charges, I watched him bat, and his class impressed me. I knew that one day Rohit would play for India, and he has proved himself as a classy batter,” he said.
