New Delhi, Nov 5 (IANS) Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif shared his opinion on Indian stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s future in ODI cricket, calling them “India’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.”

The 57-year-old said that the duo’s participation in the 2027 World Cup will be a decision made by the Indian management, but believes that either one of them should be part of the XI to make the Indian side stronger.

Latif observed that selectors and management must consider several factors when choosing a squad, which can result in some deserving players missing out due to the depth of talent. However, he emphasised that seniors Rohit and Kohli ought to be part of the World Cup, and the team should try to fit at least one of them, if not both, in the playing XI.

“There’s still a whole year left, that is 2026. We’ll have to see how many ODIs are scheduled and how many of those they’ll play, but the seniors should definitely be there. One-day cricket is a long-format game — it’s not like T20s. Even if not both, at least one of them must be part of the team. Sometimes you have players available but can’t fit them into the playing XI — for example, Jaiswal isn’t getting a chance, so someone else is playing in his place. Then suddenly, someone like Sai Sudharsan might perform well. KL Rahul also deserves opportunities. There are many factors to consider. But if it’s not possible to have both in the playing XI, at least one should definitely be included,” Latif told IANS.

Latif recalled the duo’s innings against Australia, where the two former skippers led India to a nine-wicket win in the third ODI. While Rohit notched up a brilliant unbeaten century, scoring 121, Virat finished at 74 not out as India made the 237-run chase look like a cakewalk.

“Both are great players — the kind who can change the course of a game. Just look at the last ODI. After such a long break, they came back; in the first two matches, they didn’t do much, but in the third, they turned the match around. Class is permanent. Ronaldo is still playing, Messi is still playing — and these two are India’s Ronaldo and Messi,” he added.

–IANS

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