Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma will keep out the young guys coming through: Shane Watson reminds just how good they still are

Winning the Champions Trophy was a new career high for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.  When India defeated New Zealand to win a second ICC title in two years, the two cornerstones of Indian cricket, who had seen many highs and lows together, were naturally ecstatic.

India was victorious in the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025, winning the trophy for the third time in a row.  Throughout the competition, there was conjecture on whether or not Kohli and Rohit's Champions Trophy appearance would be their last.  Fans prepared for a rematch of the T20 World Cup 2024, where Rohit and Kohli said goodbye to the game's smallest format when Ravindra Jadeja scored the game-winning runs in the final.

However, Rohit and Kohli quickly put an end to any rumors in their unique ways, reaffirming their intention to play international cricket for some time to come.  Shane Watson, a former all-rounder for Australia, agreed, saying that the veteran pair's outstanding batting performance supports their desire to continue.

Speaking to the Hindustan Times, Watson emphasized how Rohit and Kohli improved their performances during the Champions Trophy, showcasing their timeless elegance for everyone to see.  "My personal opinion is those guys are still batting incredibly well. So, Virat, how well he batted during the tournament, the runs he got, he still is the best chaser that's ever played the game of ODI cricket. And we saw how well he's batting. And Rohit, in the final, that was an amazing innings against the New Zealand Bowling Attack,"

Watson said."He batted, that's as well as I've seen him bat, especially during the Champions Trophy. So, look, if those guys are still batting as well as they are, and they still feel the energy and the fire still burning so brightly to play for India, then absolutely, that will keep out the younger guys coming through because they're that good," he added.

Watson also emphasized that younger players must step up and make a strong claim if they want to be included in India's strong team because Kohli and Rohit's outstanding performance in the 50-over format sets a challenging standard.

“They know how to perform under pressure, like we saw in the Champions Trophy. A knockout, really, nearly a knockout tournament, and they played incredibly well, especially when the team needed it the most," said Watson.

"So, look, if those guys want to keep playing, then it's just the younger guys who are coming through, then they need to really bash down the door. And the only way to do that is scoring a crazy amount of runs and doing extraordinary things if they want to even try and push their way into that Indian team," he added. Steve Smith announced his retirement from ODIs at the 2025 Champions Trophy, signaling the end of an era for an Australia great, even though Rohit and Kohli are still going strong.  Watson thinks Smith still had a chance to play in the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, but Cricket Australia confirmed the news after the team's loss to India in the semifinals.  Instead, Ge was hopeful that this choice might prolong Smith's remarkable Test career."Oh, Steve Smith's still, obviously, definitely good enough to be able to play until the 2027 World Cup. He's batting, as we saw during the Australian summer, he's batting as well as he has. And it's beautiful to be able to see because he's just such a phenomenal cricketer. Look, in the end, it's his call. He just feels it's the right thing for him right there and then," said Watson.

"Then, you know, good luck to him. He's earned the right with what he's been able to do for Australia to be able to make the call on what he feels is the right thing for him right there and then. There's no question, there's going to be a big hole. And then going into, like, and in the 2027 World Cup, ODI World Cup, there's going to be a hole there because Steve Smith's not going to be there. But, you know, he deserves absolutely the right to be able to make the call. And he has had an illustrious one-day career. And hopefully, that does then extend his Test cricket, his Test career for the next four or five years, hopefully, because he's obviously, we saw during the summer, he's batting as well as he ever has," he added.