Harbhajan's Bold Claim: Why Rohit and Virat Must Lead India's 2027 World Cup Charge

'Ro-Ko had a blockbuster ODI series against South Africa. While Rohit produced two magnificent half-centuries in the first and final ODIs, Virat piled up two back-to-back tons at Ranchi and Raipur and followed it with an attacking, stroke-filled half-century at Visakhapatnam.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan said that if one "loses experience in pursuit of youth", it could prove costly in big matches.

"Are there bigger and better players than Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli? So you shouldn't sideline them, but instead think about how to build the team around them. If you lose experience in the pursuit of youth, then it can be a problem from time to time in big matches. So they must play, and this will be a big World Cup because after that, it's possible they'll never play another World Cup," he said.

"The way Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are batting, and how the batting order looks with them, it looks so solid that they should play. They will maintain their fitness. But the questions about whether they will or should play the World Cup, it is okay to look towards the younger players but do not ignore the players who are already proven performers with the ability to deliver in big matches," Harbhajan said.

"In the last World Cup also, they missed it in the final, with the pitch being very slow. If there was a bitter pitch, India would have won. There was a lot of pressure, which is why Australia played better than India and won. But the way India played under Rohit Sharma was unbelievable. So the first two names should be Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, and the rest of the team should be formed after that," the former Indian spinner said.

Virat ended as the top run-getter in the series with 302 runs at an average of 151.00 and a strike rate of over 117, with two centuries and a fifty. Rohit also scored 148 runs in three innings at an average of 48.66, with an SR of over 110 and two fifties.

The ''Ro-Ko' ended as the top two run-getters for India in ODIs this year, with Virat making 651 runs in 13 matches and innings at an average of 65.10, with three centuries and four fifties, with a best score of 135 and a SR of over 96. On the other hand, Rohit scored 650 runs in 14 innings at an average of 50.00 and a strike rate of over 100, with two centuries and four fifties and a best score of 121*.

- ANI