With the Champions Trophy set to commence on February 19, fans worldwide are eagerly discussing India’s prospects in the tournament. The focus of this debate largely revolves around the form of two of India’s biggest cricketing stalwarts—Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Sri Lanka’s spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan has weighed in on the discussion, emphasizing that India’s chances of lifting the coveted trophy will hugely depend on the duo’s performance.
What did Muralitharan say about, Rohit-Kohli
Muralitharan, speaking at an event for the launch of sports drink ‘Spinner’ alongside Reliance Consumer Products Ltd, expressed confidence in the batting prowess of both players. He acknowledged that while form can be fleeting, class remains permanent—a principle that certainly applies to Kohli and Rohit.
“Definitely, because they are world-class players. Always say class is permanent (and) form is only temporary. So they will come to the (batting) form,” Muralitharan stated, reinforcing his belief in their abilities. The former Sri Lankan off-spinner stressed that India would need both Kohli and Rohit to fire in unison if they are to succeed in the tournament. “Rohit has scored a hundred and Virat will also come to form. Definitely, they need to be in form in this tournament for India to win.”
The form of India’s top-order batters has been a topic of intense scrutiny leading up to the eight-nation tournament. Rohit Sharma recently silenced critics by scoring a magnificent 32nd ODI century against England, putting an end to his struggles with the bat. On the other hand, Virat Kohli, who last scored a century during India’s tour of Australia in November, is yet to rediscover his rhythm. Both Rohit and Kohli struggled in their one-off Ranji Trophy appearance as well. Despite this, Muralitharan remains optimistic that Kohli will soon hit his stride.
India squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja.
India Champions Trophy Schedule:
- 20 February, Bangladesh v India, Dubai
- 23 February, Pakistan v India, Dubai
- 2 March, New Zealand v India, Dubai
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