Former Australia cricketer Shane Watson was in awe of Indian veterans Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma, as they led from the front and helped the Men in Blue clinch the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 title.
Indian team remained unbeaten in the 8-team tournament and defeated Bangladesh, New Zealand, and Pakistan in the Group stages. They then defeated Australia in the semi-final and took care of New Zealand once again to become three-time Champions Trophy winners.
Virat Kohli scored 218 runs with one century and one fifty to his name, while Rohit Sharma scored 76 runs in the final, to become the Player of the Match, leading from the front.
While it was rumored that Rohit and Kohli might announce retirements from ODIs, like they did in T20I after winning the T20 World Cup 2024, the duo swiftly dispelled all rumors, affirming their intent to continue their international cricket careers for the foreseeable future.
Shane Watson, a former all-rounder for Australia, agreed, saying that the veteran pair's outstanding batting performance supports their desire to continue.
Watson emphasized how Rohit and Kohli improved their performances at the Champions Trophy, showcasing their timeless elegance for everyone to see.
"My personal opinion is those guys are still batting incredibly well. So, Virat, how well he batted during the tournament, the runs he got, he still is the best chaser that's ever played the game of ODI cricket. And we saw how well he's batting. And Rohit, in the final, that was an amazing innings against the New Zealand Bowling Attack," Watson told Hindustan Times.
"He batted, that's as well as I've seen him bat, especially during the Champions Trophy. So, look, if those guys are still batting as well as they are, and they still feel the energy and the fire still burning so brightly to play for India, then absolutely, that will keep out the younger guys coming through because they're that good," he added.
Watson went on to say that Kohli and Rohit's outstanding performance in the 50-over format sets a formidable standard, encouraging younger players to come up and strongly stake their claim if they want to be a part of India's strong team.
“They know how to perform under pressure, like we saw in the Champions Trophy. A knockout, really, nearly a knockout tournament, and they played incredibly well, especially when the team needed it the most.
So, look, if those guys want to keep playing, then it's just the younger guys who are coming through, then they need to really bash down the door. And the only way to do that is scoring a crazy amount of runs and doing extraordinary things if they want to even try and push their way into that Indian team," he added.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will now be on opposing sides as they will be seen in action when IPL 2025 begins on March 22.
