The Indian cricket team’s recent 0-3 test series whitewash to New Zealand at home —their first-ever such defeat—has invited considerable criticism from the former cricketers and fans. Analysts and fans are questioning everything from the team’s struggles against spin bowling to the quality of pitches. A key talking point has also been the absence of top players including captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from domestic tournaments like the Duleep Trophy which was held right before the home season began.
At the start of 2024, the BCCI had directed that the Indian players should not skip domestic matches when free from international duty and this move was widely applauded. Yet, despite this mandate, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and other prominent players opted out of the Duleep Trophy, raising concerns about player availability for important domestic fixtures. This absence has led to scrutiny, especially given India’s lackluster batting performances in the recent test series where Virat Kohli scored just 192 runs and Rohit Sharma managed 133 across both Bangladesh and New Zealand series.
Notably, India’s test calendar had seen a significant gap after March 2024 with a shift to limited-overs cricket which included a triumphant T20 World Cup campaign. After winning the T20 title, Rohit and Kohli announced their retirements from T20Is, playing only a three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka before returning to tests against Bangladesh in late September.
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar highlighted the importance of senior players’ involvement in domestic cricket, particularly for those considered “well-rested”. Manjrekar took to X and stated that participation in domestic matches, like the Duleep Trophy, would have been beneficial for experienced players like Rohit and Virat.
Here’s what Sanjay Manjrekar’s tweet read, “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..”
Check out his tweet:
https://x.com/sanjaymanjrekar/status/1853623337823465780
India’s home series ended on a bittersweet note, with a 2-0 win over Bangladesh followed by the historic loss to New Zealand. The team will now aim to regroup and address these issues before their upcoming five-match test series against Australia, starting November 22 in Perth.
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