Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer believes there is a degree of professional rivalry between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, but said the two modern-day greats continue to share considerable respect for each other.
Rohit and Kohli remain central figures in India’s ODI setup and have continued to produce significant performances despite being in the later stages of their international careers. Both players now represent India only in the 50-over format.
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In the ongoing ODI series against the West Indies, Kohli scored a century in the opening match in Thiruvananthapuram, helping India secure an eight-wicket victory. Rohit then followed it up with another hundred in the second ODI in Guwahati, where India chased down 406 with eight wickets in hand.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Jaffer reflected on the relationship between the two senior batters and compared it with the camaraderie and competitive environment among India’s greats during his playing days.
Jaffer said there can naturally be professional competition between players of their stature, but that should not overshadow the respect they have for each other.
He recalled playing alongside several Indian greats, including Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag, saying mutual respect was an important feature of that group.
“Virat and Rohit are modern greats, and they have a lot of respect for each other,” Jaffer said, adding that the next generation of Indian players could learn from that relationship.
Jaffer also highlighted the importance of Rohit moving to the top of India’s batting order during the 2013 Champions Trophy in England. According to the former opener, that change allowed Rohit to unlock his potential in ODI cricket.
Jaffer said Rohit had always possessed the talent and ability to succeed, but opening the innings gave him the opportunity to play in a position that suited his game.
“Rohit Sharma became Rohit Sharma when he started to open,” Jaffer said, referring to the transformation in the batter’s ODI career after he began opening regularly.
The move proved significant. Rohit established himself as one of the leading ODI openers in world cricket and went on to become one of India’s most prolific run-scorers in the format.
His latest century in Guwahati was his 35th in ODI cricket. The 101-run innings also saw Rohit reach another major milestone as he crossed 12,000 ODI runs.
He became only the third Indian batter to achieve the feat, joining Tendulkar and Kohli in the elite group.
Rohit reached the landmark during India’s record chase against West Indies, which also featured an unbeaten double-century from captain Shubman Gill.
The veteran opener’s century came from 75 balls and formed part of a 255-run opening partnership with Gill. The stand laid the foundation for India’s successful chase of West Indies’ 405/7.
Rohit has previously spoken about the importance of concentration and experience in sustaining a long international career. His latest innings once again demonstrated his ability to convert starts into substantial scores while playing a key role at the top of the order.
