‘People who haven’t achieved much, making decisions on RO-KO’s future’:Harbhajan Singh opens up on Rohit-Virat’s ODI path ahead of 3rd match in Vizag

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has targeted those who are discussing the future of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Harbhajan says it’s unfortunate that people who haven’t achieved anything themselves are deciding the future of these two players. Harbhajan is part of the expert commentary panel in the ongoing ILT20 Season 4 in the UAE. He spoke to the media on Wednesday. In the question-answer session, the entire press conference… Question: How did it feel seeing Indian players in ILT20 this year?
Harbhajan: It felt very good. This time, players like Dinesh Karthik and Piyush Chawla have come. Before this, Yusuf Pathan and Robin Uthappa have also played. Players who have recently retired are coming here to play. Every year, this tournament brings new hopes. Question: What’s new in the tournament this time?
Harbhajan: This year, players from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are also playing. Cricket is spreading everywhere. The UAE board has done a great job. Players from other countries are also getting the opportunity to play with and learn from big players. Question: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are consistently playing well. Do they look ready for the 2027 World Cup?
Harbhajan: They have always been outstanding players. It never felt like they were out of form. They have consistently scored runs and set the right example for young players. They are still playing very strongly. Question: How has your journey been from Season 1 to Season 4? And which team seemed the strongest?
Harbhajan: The journey has been fantastic. Looking at today’s batting, it seems Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR) has built a very strong team. They scored 233 runs, which is rarely seen in Sharjah. I think ADKR will be the most difficult team to beat this time. Question: What do you think about the transition in Indian cricket?
Harbhajan: This is beyond my understanding. I probably cannot answer this because I have been a player myself and what I have seen has happened to me too. This has happened with many of my colleagues, but it is very unfortunate. We don’t talk about this or discuss it. I am very happy when I see players like Virat Kohli still moving forward strongly. It is a bit unfortunate that those who haven’t achieved much are making decisions about their future. Question: Your opinion on Test cricket pitches in India?
Harbhajan: In the last few years, pitches have become very spin-friendly and difficult. This makes batting challenging. We should play on good 5-day pitches. Otherwise, fans get disappointed and matches end in 2-3 days. Question: Is there a lack of patience visible among players?
Harbhajan: Yes, patience has decreased due to T-20 cricket. If we want to save Test cricket, we need to make good and balanced pitches. Only then will players think about playing for 5 days. Question: As we are seeing now, Anil Kumble, you, then R Ashwin, we always had a strike spinner. Right now Team India seems to have fewer good strike spinners and more support spinners. What do you think about this?
Harbhajan: To make a spinner a strike bowler, they need to bowl long spells. 30-40 overs, so that they can take 5 wickets. If the pitch is very spin-friendly, anyone can take 5 wickets in 5 overs. Joe Root also once took 5 wickets in just 5 overs on such a pitch. This clearly shows what the wicket was like. This is not to disrespect anyone, but this cannot happen on a good pitch. We have played cricket for 20 years, so we understand that India should now have good, balanced pitches. True bowlers and real skill are only visible on good pitches. That’s all I want to say. Question: What is the benefit of the league in the UAE?
Harbhajan: Due to the league, local players get a chance to play with big players. They learn from this and their game improves. ILT20 has given players a big platform.