"Look at MS Dhoni even now, how fit he is at 44" - Former Indian captain's huge claim on Rohit Sharma after Australia ODIs

Published - 30 Oct 2025, 13:16 IST | Updated - 30 Oct 2025, 13:32 IST

Rohit Sharma worked hard on his game and his fitness ahead of the three-match ODI series against Australia earlier this month, and it paid dividends. The former India captain aggregated 202 runs in three innings at a mind-boggling average of 101 and won the Player of the Series award. While India lost the series 1-2, Rohit's performance with the bat stood out.

On Wednesday, October 29, Rohit displaced Shubman Gill to become the top-ranked batter in ODI cricket. The former became the oldest cricketer to achieve this feat, reaching the pinnacle at the age of 38 years and 183 days.

Former India captain Kris Srikkanth lauded the Mumbai batter and opined that his selection in the side should only depend on his fitness and not his age. The cricketer-turned-expert shared the example of MS Dhoni, who is still playing in the Indian Premier League at the age of 44.

"It shows that age alone shouldn't be a deciding factor. Rohit Sharma is still fit, which is why he performed brilliantly in the 2023 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy. Look at MS Dhoni even now, how fit he is at 44. Even today, look at the way he is keeping and running between the wickets. Can anyone else keep wickets like Dhoni at this age? Impossible. His stumpings are still lightning fast. So it's only a question of fitness," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.

"The ranking is a giveaway that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will definitely play the 2027 World Cup. The top three is surely going to be Rohit, Virat and Shubman Gill (because all three in the top six in the rankings)," he added.

Srikkanth stated that mental fitness is more important than physical fitness. He praised the likes of Dhoni, Rohit, and Virat Kohli, who are defying age and still competing against the best players in world cricket.

"One is physical fitness but the other is mental fitness. Being mentally fit is the most important. That's where I like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and even MS Dhoni. Mentally, they are still fit and want to prove it to the world by winning matches for the team. That's why they are great cricketers," said Srikkanth (via the aforementioned source).

Suryakumar joins Rohit, second Indian to hit 150 T20I sixes

Rohit and Kohli are only playing ODI cricket now after retiring from Tests and T20Is. India's next 50-over assignment is a three-match series against South Africa, starting on November 30.