Mohammad Kaif claims some selectors want Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to fail: 'Ab to zid bhi hai...'

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has made a big claim about the situation around Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the ODI team. Kaif said that some selectors and media people are waiting for the two senior players to fail so that they can be removed from the side.

After Rohit and Kohli failed in the first two games against Australia following their return to international cricket after seven months, fans and experts started criticising them and questioning their place in the team, especially for the 2027 ODI World Cup. However, the star duo proved everyone wrong with their spectacular performance in the third ODI.

Kaif backs Kohli and Rohit

Kaif, who has been very vocal in his support of the two legends, said that Rohit and Kohli are still very important for India, especially with the 2027 Cricket World Cup to be played in South Africa. He added that both players are determined to end their careers on their own terms.

“In the back of their mind, they know that people are waiting for them to fail. There are selectors and some media people. Ab to zid bhi hai Virat Kohli ki, Rohit Sharma ki (both of them are determined). Look at their face, they appeared focused but calm. They have that extra determination. They will be determined to go on their terms in this format and not to give anyone a chance to remove them from the team,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

“In South Africa, it is a must to have Rohit and Virat in the squad because of the experience they bring along. You need Rohit Sharma on South Africa’s bouncy track. Same with Virat. He plays well on fast, bouncy strips. Rohit Sharma has shown that age is just a number. You only fix things when they’re broken. People support Rohit and Virat because they know they haven’t done anything wrong,” he added.

Before the Australia series, there was talk about whether Kohli and Rohit would retire from ODIs. Their poor performances in the first two games added to the speculation. But in the third ODI in Sydney, they silenced all the critics with a brilliant match-winning partnership and also showed their intent to play until the next World Cup.

With just a few ODI series left before the 2027 World Cup, Kohli and Rohit will have to keep themselves match-ready and fit for the selectors to consider them. Earlier, chief selector Ajit Agarkar had hinted that the legendary duo must keep performing to claim a stake in the World Cup squad or else younger players would be considered.