Former India head coach Ravi Shastri stated that people should avoid interfering with players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, stressing that if the pair ‘hit the right switches’, those targeting them will disappear, issuing a strong warning to all detractors.

In a conversation, Shastri delivered a firm message to ‘disruptors’ amid the ongoing discussions about Rohit and Kohli’s roles in the Indian side. He warned critics and ‘certain individuals’ not to ‘interfere’ with the duo’s careers or public image.

Having shared a close bond with Kohli and worked alongside Rohit, Shastri remained outspoken in his comments.

“Aise players ke saath aap masti mat karo yaar. Karne waale kar rahe hain. Agar unka dimaag theek ho gaya na aur sahi button daba diya, to sab aaju baaju nikal Jayenge. (Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are ODI giants. You don’t mess around with players of that stature. Some people are doing it. That is all I will say. And if these two switch on properly, hit the right buttons, all the ones messing around will disappear from the scene real quick),” Shastri said while speaking to Prabhat Khabar.

Shastri’s comments come at a time when people are again questioning how long Rohit and Kohli can keep going and how they are playing, especially after both stepped away from Tests and ODIs.

In October, Rohit was named Player of the Series against Australia after scoring a half-century and a century. Kohli also hit a fifty on that tour. In the current three-match ODI series against South Africa, Kohli has scored two centuries in a row, while Rohit has also made a fifty.