Published: Feb 04, 2026, 03:18 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 04, 2026, 03:22 PM (IST)
Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has strongly defended senior batting stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, asserting that no one should dictate whether the duo can continue playing for the country, especially amid discussions about their participation in the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Speaking at a recent event, the 44-year-old former skipper shared his clear views on player longevity and selection.
When asked about Rohit (38) and Kohli (37) potentially featuring in the 2027 ODI World Cup, Dhoni initially responded light-heartedly, “Sorry, what’s the question?” before delivering a firm stance.
“Why not? Why should somebody not play the World Cup?” he asked.
“For me, age is not a criteria. Performance, fitness-these are criteria. I always feel nobody should be told anything.“
Dhoni drew parallels from his own long career to underline his point.
“When I made my debut I was 24, nobody told me anything and now when I am playing for India for 10 years, 20 years or whatever, nobody needs to come and tell me about my age,” he asserted.
He emphasized that the choice to continue should rest solely with the players themselves. “Whether Rohit or Virat or other names that will come up in next five years… whether they can or cannot play the next World Cup, it’s not for us to decide, it’s for them to decide. If they keep playing well, if they have the urge to do well for the country, then why not.“
Dhoni highlighted the critical value of experience in any team. “You can’t get experienced people. You can’t get a 20-year-old who is experienced unless it’s a Sachin Tendulkar! You get experience at that age only if you start playing when you’re 16 or 17.”
He explained what real experience truly means. “If you’re calling 20 games and 25 games as experience, then they are not experienced because you need people to be under the pump… I have to play 80 games, 85 games to experience that and then to know how to tame my heart, how to tame my emotion, how to handle the pressure.”
Dhoni advocated for a merit-based, transparent selection process. “Treat everyone equally. People are performing, they’ll be there. People are not performing, they won’t be there… if the guy is not fit, you can chuck him out at any point of time. If he’s not performing anyway you’ll chuck him out.”
“So there should not be any question regarding any individual when it comes to selection. There’s only one criteria. You’re performing, you’re fit, keep on playing.”
