Speaking at a recent event, Dhoni dismissed the growing narrative around age, particularly as scrutiny has intensified since Rohit and Kohli stepped away from Test cricket last year. The World Cup–winning captain made it clear that experience should not be undervalued simply because a player is in their 30s.
“Why not? The thing is, why somebody should not play the next World Cup? For me, age is not a criteria. Performance and fitness—these are the criteria,” Dhoni said. He added that judging players purely by their age makes little sense in modern cricket. “Is age a factor? No. Fitness factor? Yes. Even if you are 22 and not fit, you cannot play international cricket.”
