DUBAI: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have “a lot of cricket left in them,” former India opener and Champions Trophy winner Shikhar Dhawan says, adding that the mere presence of the veteran duo can unsettle any opposition.
Kohli hit an unbeaten 100 on Sunday, his 51st ODI century, as India swept aside Pakistan by six wickets in Dubai to stand on the cusp of the ICC Champions Trophy semifinals.
Pakistan, who are hosting all of the games except those involving India, are on the brink of elimination after their second defeat of the tournament.
Rohit made a quickfire 20 at the top of the innings as India went after 242 for victory and Kohli took charge after the captain’s exit to steer the team home with 45 balls to spare.
Kohli, 36, and Rohit, 37, have struggled for form since retiring from T20 internationals after last year’s World Cup win, with speculation swirling that they could soon retire.
But Kohli rolled back the years with his first ODI century since November 2023.
“Virat standing on the crease, his presence is big. The opposition have fear in them,” said Dhawan, who is in Dubai as a tournament ambassador.
Kohli went past 14,000 ODI runs early in his innings, becoming only the third batsman to achieve the landmark after Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara.
Rohit struck form with a century in India’s 3-0 home sweep of England earlier this month and hit a 36-ball 41 in India’s opening win over Bangladesh.
“Recently Rohit scored an amazing century, but it’s not about a century or half-century,” said Dhawan, a swashbuckling opener who played his last ODI in 2022 and won the Champions Trophy in 2013.
“Today Rohit played a quick 20 runs, that also carries value. He created that fearless environment for the whole team,” he added.
“He’s got a great impact in early overs in today’s cricket.
“Things have changed, so now it’s good to take that risk and play aerial shots.
“We used to see it only in T20 cricket but now we see it in 50-over cricket.
“The Pakistan batsmen did not play any aerial shots, but Rohit came and took that risk, which played in India’s favor.”
Pressed on the futures of Rohit and Kohli, Dhawan said: “They have a lot of cricket left in them.”
Spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who took a crucial 3-40 to peg back Pakistan, hailed man-of-the-match Kohli.
“There is only one big player in the team and that is Virat ‘bhai’ (brother), who played a brilliant innings,” Kuldeep said.
“Hope that I can continue performing well,” added the left-arm wrist spinner, who recently returned after hernia surgery.
“Obviously if you play good cricket, stick around with good players, and you know you have a good team with two senior players who are greats.”
Kohli, Rohit ‘have a lot of cricket left’ after sending Pakistan to brink
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Kohli, Rohit ‘have a lot of cricket left’ after sending Pakistan to brink
- Kohli hit 51st ODI century on Sunday as India beat Pakistan by six wickets in Champions Trophy clash
- Kohli, 36, and Rohit, 37, have struggled since retiring from T20 internationals after last year's World Cup win
Wawrinka rolls back the years to beat Lebanon’s Benjamin Hassan in front of Federer
- 3-time Slam winner upped his level when required to serve his way past Hassan at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
- Top-ranked Arab player on the ATP Tour, Moez Echargui of Tunisia, was also in action on day 1, slipping to the narrowest of defeats to Mpetshi Perricard
DUBAI: Forty-year-old Stan Wawrinka, the three-time Grand Slam winner who is competing in his final Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships this week, rolled back the years on Centre Court to overcome Lebanese wildcard Benjamin Hassan in straight sets and become the oldest player to win a match in the Dubai tournament’s 34-year history.
Wawrinka’s record was previously held by his Swiss compatriot, the legendary Roger Federer, so it was fitting then that the 20-time Grand Slam winner was inside the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium to cheer on his fellow Olympic gold medalist.
“I’m not sure it’s the best record of his to have,” Wawrinka joked in his on-court interview as fans switched from cheering his every move to applauding an on-screen image of Federer, who won the title here eight times, including his last at the ripe old age of 37 in 2019. “(The appreciation of the fans) is one of the reasons why I have kept playing for so long — to enjoy these matches and these tournaments. I’m super grateful to all those who came out tonight.”
Wawrinka looked far from a player ready to hang up his racket as he beat Hassan 7-5, 6-3 and without dropping a single service game. That is not to say the German-born Hassan failed to put up a fight, but only that whenever he got close — and he forced three break-points across the two sets — Wawrinka seemed to go up a level. In both games where the Swiss looked like he might see his serve broken, he pulled an ace out of his bag to finish the match with nine aces overall.
“All good things have to come to an end,” Wawrinka said when asked why he is choosing to step away now when he evidently still has so much to offer. “Nobody can play forever and as much as I am passionate and still playing well, I know that it’s the right thing to do.”
Hassan, ranked World No. 289 and making his Dubai debut, revealed he was thankfully not aware of Federer’s presence until after the match, adding: “Stan played really good and was serving unbelievable. I had my chances to come back in the second set but unfortunately missed some returns. It was tough, but I’m happy with my performance. Lots of things to work on, of course, but overall, it was just a privilege to be here, to play my first match, and against Stan — it’s incredible.”
Asked in his post-match news conference whether he had taken the chance to speak with Federer at all, Hassan raised his hand in the air: “I’m never washing this hand again! He came to me and said ‘good match’ and I said ‘thank you’ in German. He looked a little bit surprised to hear that, but, yeah, I will always keep this hand dry now in the shower!”
Another Arab player was in action on day one as Tunisian Moez Echargui also made his Dubai debut, taking on France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round. In a match of the finest margins, Echargui — the highest-ranked Arab on tour at 141, yet ranked 83 places below his opponent — forced three tiebreaks before Mpetshi Perricard edged the final set to progress 7-6 (3), 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4).
Having made his ATP 500 debut last week in Doha, this month is proving eye-opening for the 33-year-old North African as he embraces the experience of playing in such high-profile events. Echargui and his coaches are using the new opportunities afforded to him as a wildcard to improve and learn as much as possible against the world’s best players.
“Going on Centre Court and playing against top players, it is where we want to be, playing in these big tournaments, in front of these big crowds”, said Echargui, whose next stop is Indian Wells next week. “Despite the result, I’m feeling really positive about it. I knew the match would be a hard one, so I just tried to stay focused all of the way through. I’m proud to represent my country and to represent all of the Arab world, especially here in Dubai. It’s such a privilege. It’s been fulfilling — a great experience.”
