Gavaskar Suggests Kohli And Rohit Should Have Played In Duleep Trophy

Sunil Gavaskar has suggested that India captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should have participated in the Duleep Trophy 2024 first-round matches. This recommendation comes ahead of the two-Test series against Bangladesh starting on September 19.

The two prominent batsmen were not included in the four squads announced for the first-round matches beginning on September 5. It is understood that both Kohli and Rohit were offered the chance to play but chose to opt out.

"We should not insist on players like Rohit and Virat to play in the Duleep Trophy. They will risk injury. If you have noticed, in Australia and England, every international player does not play domestic cricket. We have to treat the players with respect," Jay Shah recently said as quoted by ANI.

However, former India great Sunil Gavaskar believes that while resting Jasprit Bumrah is justified, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should have played a match before the first Test against Bangladesh. He emphasised that batters in their mid-30s need regular play to keep their memory fresh.

"The selectors have not picked the skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the Duleep Trophy so they will most likely go into the Bangladesh Test series without much match practice," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day.

"While it's understandable that somebody like Jasprit Bumrah with his delicate back needs to be handled with care, the batters could have done with some batting time out in the middle. Once a player hits the mid-thirties in any sport, then regular competition will help him maintain the high standards he has set," he added.

Virat Kohli returned to his family in London after playing in the ODI series against Sri Lanka. He did not perform well in any of the three matches. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma looked sharp and scored fifties in the first two games but failed to deliver a match-winning performance in the decisive third game.

Importance of Regular Competition

"When there's a longish gap then muscle memory weakens somewhat and getting back to earlier high standards is not easy," Gavaskar added.

Gavaskar's comments highlight concerns about maintaining form and readiness for upcoming international fixtures. The decision by Kohli and Rohit to skip domestic matches may impact their performance against Bangladesh.

The upcoming series will test whether their choice to rest instead of gaining match practice was beneficial or detrimental. Fans and analysts alike will be keenly observing their performances.