Sanjay Manjrekar, a former Indian cricketer and renowned commentator, has once again emphasized the importance of domestic cricket for India’s top batsmen, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. In the wake of India’s 3-0 whitewash at the hands of New Zealand in the recently concluded Test series, Manjrekar has reiterated his belief that Kohli and Sharma would have benefited from playing in the Indian domestic competitions.
During the series, both Kohli and Sharma struggled against the New Zealand seamers and spinners. The seam-friendly surface in Bengaluru gave way to rank turners in Pune and Mumbai, exposing the Indian batsmen’s vulnerabilities. Rohit, who has played 64 Tests in his career, scored just 91 runs across the three Tests, with a highest of 52 runs in Bengaluru. Kohli, with 118 Tests under his belt, fared no better, scoring just 93 runs across the six innings.
Manjrekar believes that the selectors should not rest well-rested players like Kohli and Sharma simply because of their stature. He argues that both players would have only benefited from playing in the Duleep Trophy at the start of the season. Across the home season, which included two Tests against Bangladesh and three against New Zealand, Rohit scored 133 runs and Kohli mustered 192 runs.
Manjrekar has consistently urged the selectors and the two stalwarts of Indian cricket to play in the Duleep Trophy competition to prepare for the home season and the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. In August, he wrote on X, “India has played 249 international matches in the last 5 years. Rohit has played only 59% of those. Virat 61 % & Bumrah 34%. I see them as well rested India players. Could have been selected for the Duleep trophy.”
During the Bangladesh series, Manjrekar had commented, “… considering the amount of international matches Rohit and Virat played in the last five years, they could have been picked for the Duleep Trophy and I’m sure the time out there would have just held them at least in the first innings where they suddenly came out cold and having had to bat first,” he had said on ESPNCricinfo.
Kohli and Rohit will be under immense pressure going into the five-match Test series against Australia, which begins in Perth on November 22. Manjrekar’s comments serve as a timely reminder of the importance of domestic cricket in preparing for international challenges.
