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Former India National Cricket Team and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Wasim Jaffer has commented on the 'professional rivalry' between batting greats Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have both made important contributions in India's first two ODIs against West Indies. Kohli scored an unbeaten 139 in the opening ODI in Thiruvananthapuram, while Rohit responded with 101 in the second ODI in Guwahati. India won both matches to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.
There is a bit of professional rivalry - Wasim Jaffer on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
The performances of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have once again put the two senior batters in focus as India continue their preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Kohli reached 139 not out from 88 balls in the first ODI, while Rohit scored 101 from 75 balls in Guwahati, with both innings coming in India's successful run chases.
Former India batter and ex-Royal Challengers Bengaluru player Wasim Jaffer discussed the relationship between the two senior batters in his recent YouTube video.
Jaffer acknowledged that there is a professional rivalry between them but said it exists alongside mutual respect, drawing a comparison with the competitive environment he experienced alongside India's previous generation of batting greats. Wasim Jaffer said on his YouTube channel:
"They have played a lot of cricket together. There is a bit of professional rivalry, but eventually you respect each other. When I was playing, there were Sachin, Rahul, Sourav, Laxman, and Sehwag. They were all greats, but that mutual respect was evident. Virat and Rohit are modern greats, and they have a lot of respect for each other. The new generation should learn this from them."
Rohit Sharma became Rohit Sharma when he started to open - Wasim Jaffer
Wasim Jaffer also reflected on the major change in Rohit's ODI career after he moved to the top of the order. Rohit began opening regularly during the 2013 Champions Trophy, and Jaffer identified that period as the point when India began seeing a different version of the batter.
The move has remained central to Rohit's ODI career, with his latest century in Guwahati taking his tally to 35 ODI hundreds and making him only the third Indian to reach 12,000 runs in the format after Sachin Tendulkar and Kohli. Wasim Jaffer said:
"Rohit Sharma became Rohit Sharma when he started to open. We saw a different side of Rohit Sharma when he got a chance to open at the 2013 Champions Trophy. He had the talent and potential, but he has never looked back after 2013. Batting in the top-order is the best place in ODIs, and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands."»
Being a bowler in today’s era is very difficult - Wasim Jaffer
Wasim Jaffer also spoke about the conditions during the second ODI in Guwahati, where India chased 406 with eight wickets in hand. The match produced 811 runs in 93.3 overs, with five centuries across the two innings, as the pitch heavily favoured the batters.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Jaffer questioned whether modern ODI pitches are providing enough assistance to bowlers and argued that the contest between bat and ball needs to remain competitive.
“Being a bowler in today’s era is very difficult, and I pity them. What will they even be thinking? In our era, we had some great pacers like Wasim, Waqar, and others. There was nothing on this pitch. It looked like the curators were content to sit on the road rollers, because this resembled a road more than a cricket pitch.”
Jaffer also pointed to the possibility of increasingly frequent 350-plus and 400-run totals if batting-friendly conditions continue to dominate ODI cricket. He stated:
"Looks like scores of 350-400 will become more regular going ahead. There has to be something in the wicket for the bowlers as well, and we have to think on their behalf too, otherwise the game tends to get really boring. In such a case, the side that has a powerful batting line-up will win. The contest between bat and ball has to be equal."
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