"Laughable": R Ashwin Makes Big Statement On Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma Having To 'Prove' Themselves
Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has made his feelings clear on the pressure on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to prove themselves.
- R Ashwin said that it is 'laughable' that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have to prove themselves
- "The fact that Virat and Rohit have to prove is itself laughable. What do they need to prove?" said Ashwin
- "They are actually an example for all the next generation of players coming through," he added
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have let their bat do the talking amid doubts regarding their future in India's ODI squad for the Cricket World Cup 2027. While Rohit was the Player of the Series in the ODI series against Australia in October, Kohli smashed two centuries to win the same award in the recently-concluded series against South Africa. Now, legendary India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has stated that it is laughable that there was a question mark on the star duo.
"The fact that Virat and Rohit have to prove is itself a laughable thing. What do they need to prove? In such long careers, we have all ups and downs, we all have good and bad times," Ashwin said, speaking on his own YouTube channel, as quoted by Hindustan Times.
"The fact that Rohit has worked on it (fitness) and come back, so props to him. The fact that Virat is batting as well as he is also shows the kind of work both of them have put in," he added.
Ashwin applauded Kohli and Rohit for their commitment and the way they have returned to form recently.
"They don't have to prove anything to anyone. It is actually an example for all the next generation of players coming through, showing that you need to make sacrifices and demonstrate commitment to the game if you want to have such lengthy careers. The game is bigger than anyone else," Ashwin said.
Rohit, who lost 10kg ahead of his return to international cricket in October, has smashed 348 runs in his last six ODIs, scoring three half-centuries and a century. For a while, the 38-year-old even rose to the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI men's batting rankings.
On the other hand, Kohli, after initially making two ducks in his first two games, has bounced back in the grandest of fashion.
The 37-year-old slammed two hundreds in the first two ODIs against South Africa, and remained unbeaten on 65 in the final game of the series. Therefore, Kohli has made two centuries and two fifties in his last four ODIs.
Virat Kohli
Rohit Sharma
India Cricket Team
Ravichandran Ashwin