"Please don't ask any questions about his fitness" - Ex-Indian star's huge claim as Virat Kohli gears up for AUS vs IND 2025 ODIs

Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has shut down questions about Virat Kohli's fitness as the latter gears up for international return. Harbhajan referred to the Indian legend as the 'fitness guru', and suggested that he can still rule international cricket.

The Delhi-born cricketer hasn't played competitive cricket since the IPL 2025 final and has been spending time with his family in London. The three-game ODI series in Australia, beginning on October 19, will see his return to international and competitive cricket.

Speaking on Star Sports after the squad announcement on Saturday, the 45-year-old remarked, as quoted by India Today:

"Please, don't ask any questions about his (Virat Kohli) fitness. When it comes to fitness, he's a fitness guru. Everyone follows what he does. Virat Kohli—there's no concern about his fitness. He's fit, probably fitter than many who have played alongside him. In present international cricket, he's probably the fittest guy. That part is over."

Harbhajan went on to claim that the veteran retired from Test cricket way too early, adding:

"I am looking forward to seeing Virat Kohli back in action because fans haven’t seen him play recently, and personally, I would like to see him playing this format a little longer because he still has it in him. When he retired from Test cricket, I thought he still had about four or five years left—not just to play, but to dominate in Test cricket. He’s that kind of batter. I’m looking forward to seeing him bat, and he’s going to Australia."

The 36-year-old retired from Tests, having played 123 matches and scoring 9230 runs at 46.85 with 30 centuries. He is also the most successful Indian Test captain, winning 40 out of 68 games, including no series loss at home.

---

Virat Kohli holds a strong record in ODIs in Australia

Virat Kohli is currently the third-highest run-getter in ODIs. (Credits: Getty)

Meanwhile, Kohli, the former India captain, has a strong record in Australia as far as ODIs go. In 29 ODIs Down Under, he has accumulated 1327 runs at 51.03 alongside five hundreds with a best of 133*.

The star batter is also only 54 runs away from overtaking Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-getter in the format.

His most recent outing for the Men in Blue was during the Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand.