Five Men Couldn’t Stop Messi at 39, So Why Stop RoKo?

Harbhajan backs Virat and Rohit

Age should not decide Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s chances of playing in the 2027 ODI World Cup. At least, that is what former India spinner Harbhajan Singh believes.

Virat is 37 now and will be 39 around the 2027 World Cup. But Harbhajan believes that if he is still performing and fit enough to compete with younger players, his age should not matter.

To explain his point, Harbhajan brought up Lionel Messi despite being 39 during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, helped Argentina reach the final. Harbhajan pointed to the Argentine star’s ability to still dominate despite his age.

“At 39, five men fail to stop him,” Harbhajan said while discussing Messi’s fitness and skill.

So why should Virat and Rohit be treated differently? Harbhajan said performance should be the ultimate criterion.

If Virat continues scoring runs and can match the fitness levels he believes there should be no reason to leave him out.

Harbhajan also highlighted the experience factor. Virat and Rohit have played around 500 international games, while a youngster like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi can bring explosive batting but cannot offer the same experience yet.

Harbhajan did not say their places should be guaranteed. He believes players eventually know when their bodies are telling them to stop.

For now, his message is clear age should not decide the 2027 World Cup squad. Performance and fitness should.