Mohammad Kaif, a former cricketer, has said that the narrative has come full circle for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, and now that they are at the twilight of their career, runs will ultimately define whether they remain a part of India’s ODI set up, just as they did when they first commenced their international careers.
After the third ODI on Sunday where India won by 9 wickets, Rohit Sharma was announced as Player of the Match and made Player of the Series with the highest runs in the series as well with 202 runs over the three matches with an average of 101 after letting him free from captaincy.
There was speculation of Rohit and Virat’s retirement after the tour, but both players ticked the critics off the field with their batting.
Kaif Talks About What Was Happening After the Game
Ex-Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif speaks about what he spotted after the game. He mentioned seeing Virat Kohli on the phone while Rohit Sharma walked up holding his Man of the Match and Man of the Series awards to head coach Gautam Gambhir. They could have smiled at each other, but Rohit just walked away. Kaif said these words showed that both players know their “respect” is in their own hands. Their futures with the team ultimately depend on how many runs they score.
Kaif said, “Virat was on the phone after the game. Rohit walked up holding the Man of the Match award and the Man of the Series award to coach Gautam Gambhir. ‘They could have smiled at each other’. Now they know…’if I score runs, I will play.'”
Rohit and Virat Save India from Whitewash
Kaif added that both are playing with the mindset they had as newcomers—play for India and let runs do the talking. After Australia won the first two matches, India was close to a whitewash. But Rohit and Virat saved the day.
The bowlers kept Australia to 236. Shubman Gill scored 24 runs, but then Rohit and Virat played superbly. They built an unbeaten 168-run stand to win the match by nine wickets. Rohit scored 121*, and Virat made 74*. Their strong show ended all retirement talks.
Rohit and Virat Rescue India from Whitewash
Caif stated that both are playing with the mentality they had when they first made their careers—play for India and let runs do the talking. After Australia won the first two games, India was looking at a whitewash. Rohit and Virat rescued the situation.
The bowlers restricted Australia to 236. Shubman Gill scored 24 runs, but after that, Rohit and Virat batted superbly. They created a 168 run unbroken partnership to win the game by 9 wickets. Rohit scored 121* and Virata scored 74*. Their performance put an end to the retirement talk.