Were Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma unprepared for the demands of Test cricket? The result of the last two series would suggest that. With age going against them, the modern greats didn’t look in great touch against Bangladesh or New Zealand. Their engines didn’t seem to be warm enough for red-ball cricket. Rhythm, form, and mindset all looked out of sync. Both are already being put under the pump for their failure, but does the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also warrant some blame?
BCCI deserves the blame for Rohit-Kohli failing?
According to Sanjay Manjrekar, it’s not just Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s fault that they failed to perform. The blame must also fall upon the BCCI and the selectors. The senior pros have served Indian cricket for over a decade, but that doesn’t mean they should get a free pass. Manjrekar feels that BCCI and selectors made a grave error by allowing them to skip the Duleep Trophy 2024.
Having not played a red-ball game since early March, the first game Rohit and Kohli played was after a six-month gap. Between the Sri Lanka ODIs ending and the Bangladesh Tests starting, no cricket was being played for over a month. The BCCI chose to rest them from the Duleep Trophy despite that, and the results are there for everyone to see.
“The big learning for the selectors from this home season is that do not rest the already well rested players because of their stature. I say this again, both Rohit & Virat would only have benefited from playing the Duleep Trophy start of the season,“ Manjrekar wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma vs Bangladesh & New Zealand
| Inns | Runs | Avg | 50 & 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | 10 | 133 | 13.30 | 1 & 0 |
| Virat Kohli | 10 | 192 | 21.33 | 1 & 0 |
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