Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif drew comparisons between football legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and Indian cricket legends Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Kaif said that if Messi and Ronaldo can play for their countries considering their age, then Virat and Rohit also deserve to play for the Indian national cricket team.
With the victory of the ODI match against England in Birmingham, Team India’s 6-match losing streak on the current UK tour ended. In the presence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the Indian cricket team won easily.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s performance was disappointing in the India vs England ODI match in Birmingham.
In India’s win in the opening match of the 3-match ODI series, the batting contribution of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma was very modest as Rohit was out after scoring 11 runs in 21 balls and Virat was out after scoring only 5 runs in 6 balls.
As the team prepares for the upcoming ODI World Cup, which will be held in 2027, the performance of each cricketer will be under the watch of the selectors. The disappointing performance of both the experienced batsmen has raised the question whether the team should take them to the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Mohammad Kaif has raised questions on the selection process of the Indian cricket team.
In recent times, the Indian team management has mostly prioritized bringing in young talent with an eye on the future. Mohammad Kaif had concerns over the selection process, as in many cases, batsmen with aggressive batting intentions were selected for the team.
The former international batsman said that it would be a wrong move if the selectors chose someone on the basis of his hitting ability. Kaif also mentioned that a successful team needs a balance of experienced youngsters and not just a team full of young guns.
“There is a wrong trend going on where the basic principle is to bring in youth because they are hitting sixes. But a good and successful team has a mix of youth and experience,” Mohammad Kaif said while speaking on Cricbuzz.
Mohammad Kaif compared Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Amid the FIFA World Cup, the former cricketer compared the India national cricket team with the national football teams of Argentina and Portugal. Mohammad Kaif said that both Argentina and Portugal prefer to have a balance between young and experienced talent to improve the performances collectively.
While Cristiano Ronaldo is 41 years old and Lionel Messi is 39 years old, they continue to play for Portugal and Argentina respectively because they are fit and have the required skill sets to represent the team at the highest level of the game. Kaif said that the Indian cricket team should also follow suit, as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma still have the necessary tools to play the game at the top of the order.
“If you look at Ronaldo and Messi, they are almost 40 years old and still playing for their country in a fast-paced game. If they are fit and have the skill set, then why are we so behind in age in cricket?” Mohammad Kaif raised the question.