"Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli Were Giving Advice": Ex-India Star On India 'Missing' Senior Players

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were in full flourish in the first India vs South Africa ODI in Ranchi on Sunday. Kohli scored a ton while Rohit slammed a half-century. Kohli and Rohit are the senior-most players in the current Indian cricket team. Former India star Mohammad Kaif hailed the guidance provided by Kohli and Rohit but rued the absence of fast bowler Mohammed Shami from the India squad. "Harshit Rana bowled on good lengths. He was bowling short earlier, but here he kept his lengths fuller. He made solid use of the new ball. Rohit and Virat were also giving him advice on the field. This is what I am saying-youngsters will do well under seniors, and this has always been the case with Indian cricket," Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

"How many times have we seen Virat going and talking to Arshdeep and Prasidh? Rohit was giving inputs too. They want India to win even if they are not leading. They don't care about credit. They spoke a lot to the bowlers, and the results were evident," he added.

Kaif also wondered why Shami was missing from the squad.

"The question is valid. No matter what kind of pitch it is, a bowler like Shami does not care if it is flat. He has so much class that he finds ways to pick wickets there as well. I don't know why he is still not playing, because Bumrah and Siraj have been rested," said Kaif.

"The young pacers would also benefit from his presence. There is no senior pacer to tell the likes of Prasidh, Harshit, and Arshdeep what to do under pressure. India missed this."

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team South Africa Cricket Team Virat Kohli Rohit Sharma India vs South Africa 2025, India Cricket