Ind vs Ban: Virat, Rohit not playing Duleep Trophy wasn't good - Manjrekar slams duo after no show in Chennai
Sanjay Manjrekar slams Virat and Rohit for flop show in Chennai Test
Former Indian batter-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar slammed Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma following their flop show in India versus Bangladesh first Test in Chennai. Rohit returned with scores of 6 and 5 whereas Kohli only managed 6 and 17 in India's 280-run win over the Bangla Tigers. Manjrekar pointed out the duo for not playing the Duleep Trophy before the Bangladesh series and accused BCCI of 'special treatment' meted out to the two senior pros. Manjrekar, however, backed the star players to get back to runs in the second and final Test, which gets underway in Kanpur on Friday (Sep 27).
'One has to be careful about treating certain players differently and do what's best for Indian cricket'
In a conversation with ESPNCricinfo, Manjrekar said, "I'm not worried, but I'm sure somebody made a note of the fact that they would have been better off had they played some red-ball cricket. There was the option of picking them in the Duleep Trophy. So one has to be careful about treating certain players differently and do what's best for Indian cricket and for the player. Virat and Rohit not playing (Duleep Trophy) was not good for Indian cricket, nor was it good for the two players. Had they played the Duleep Trophy and had some time in the red-ball cricket, things would have been different."
He added, "But they have the class and experience to make a comeback later in the series, and I don't see them, for that reason, not being in form. But something that one must make a quiet note of, and that has been a problem with Indian cricket for a long time now, is that certain players get picked out for special treatment because of their status, which eventually hurts that player more than anyone else."
While a majority of the Test-bound players featured in the first round of the Duleep Trophy, before the Bangladesh series, Rohit and Kohli were rested. Hence, both were out of action during India's 42-day rest period after the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka.
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Speaking about Kohli, in particular, he last played a Test in early 2024 whereas his previous home Test was in Feb 2023. Hence, all eyes will be on Rohit and Kohli in the final Test versus Bangladesh as India aim for a 2-0 whitewash.