Sanjay Manjrekar encourages Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to play county cricket ahead of England tour

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 came to an end with Australia emerged victorious, claiming a 3-1 series win India in a competition of five matches. The series was highly anticipated, especially as the stakes were high for India as they needed a strong performance to secure a place in World Test Championship 2023-25 final. However, despite the excitement, India’s senior players, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharmathey faced criticism for their poor performances.

Sanjay Manjrekar suggests radical moves for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

After the series, the former Indian cricketer turned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar criticized the selection committee, urging them to take decisive steps regarding the future of senior players like Rohit and Kohli. India’s next Test assignment will be a challenging one of five matches series against England in June 2025, after Champions Trophy 2025questions loom over the readiness of these experienced players.

Manjrekar said that the upcoming series in England will be challenging for Virat because of the swing of the balls outside the off-stump, citing the batsman’s weak spot during the series against Australia. He also added that if both Virat and Rohit want to continue playing, and the selectors support them, they should play county cricket to prove their readiness, he pointed out that retirement is a personal decision, while dismissing a player is the responsibility of the selectors.

“For Virat, the next series will not be as easy as in England, it will be more or less the same. There will be a swinging ball outside the off stump. But if both Rohit and Virat intend to continue and the selectors want to back them, I would like to see both of them play country cricket and convince the people who will accept the big call whether they are ready. Retirement is up to the individual, leaving people out is on menus“, Manjrekar said in a guest appearance on Star Sports.

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Stars who failed: Kohli and Rohit failed to live up to the mark

Kohli and Rohit were expected to lead the way in this crucial series, especially with India’s aspirations to qualify for the ICC Test World Cup finals in 2025. Kohli’s century in the first Test in Perth gave Indian fans hope as he seemed to have regained some form . However, his performance dropped drastically after that. In the remaining four matches, Kohli managed just 85 runs, amassing a total of just 190 runs in the series, far from his usual standards. Similarly, Rohit’s performance was miserable. The Indian captain featured in just three matches, scoring a meager 31 runs, further frustrating fans and analysts.

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