Virat Kohli called greater than Sachin Tendulkar; Ajit Agarkar has threatened to be selected for the 2027 World Cup

Former England fast bowler Steve Harmison has sparked a huge controversy ahead of India’s upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia. Harmison described Virat Kohli as the greatest cricketer of the last three decades, which places him even above one of the greatest batsmen of all time, Sachin Tendulkar.

Harmison believes Virat Kohli’s dominance in the modern era, apart from his ability to handle the constant pressure and distractions of today’s game, sets him apart from everyone else. The former Indian captain has built an extraordinary career in ODI cricket.

Steve Harmison has called Virat Kohli the ‘greatest cricketer’ of the last three decades

In 302 matches, the dashing right-handed batsman has so far amassed over 14,000 runs at an impressive average of around 58. He has 51 centuries and 74 fifties to his name in this format.

With Kohli set to return to action through the Australian tour, Harmison pointed out that the iconic batsman not only brings strength to the Indian batting but also brings such a fearless attitude to the side.

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Steve Harmison was quoted as saying on talkSPORT Cricket: “I put Virat Kohli at number one over Sachin Tendulkar, that would raise a lot of eyebrows. But I thought his career, what he’s had to do in his career, was – I thought the way the game has changed over the last 10 years, Virat has had to deal with a lot of things outside of… The pitch that would affect him on the field. I think for me, in the last 20-30 years, the greatest cricketer to have played the game – I take out Shane Warne, because he’s come so often before – I think it’s Virat Kohli.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma don’t need domestic cricket to prove themselves, says Steve Harmison

Meanwhile, there are increasing discussions about the future of both Virat Kohli and… Rohit Sharma In India’s plans for ICC World Cup 2027. Indian chief selector Ajit Agarkar I recently mentioned that senior players should play in domestic cricket to stay competitive.

But Harmison believes selectors and team management should not have such expectations from Rohit and Virat, given their experience. They rarely play domestic cricket and the commentator defended the duo by saying that they play non-stop in India.

The Englishman mentioned that Virat and Rohit have always been on the road for India, and with the amount of cricket they play, he doesn’t think the batting icons need to play domestic cricket.

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Steve Harmison predicts a ‘first round knockout’ for India without Virat Kohli

The commentator even warned that Kohli’s exclusion from the 2027 ICC World Cup could backfire badly, describing it as a potential “knockout” for India in the first round. He described Kohli as irreplaceable given his astonishing record in run chases – over 8,000 runs at an average of 64 over 28 centuries.

Harmison signed off by saying, “If Agarkar is looking for a fight, he might get it, but he won’t win, unfortunately. That won’t go the distance. This could be a heavy knockout in the first round if he tries to get in, especially without Virat.”