Suresh Raina slams Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli for skipping Duleep Trophy

Former India World Cup winner Suresh Raina has slammed the star pairing of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli after they opted to skip the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2024. Both Virat and Rohit along with Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin were given special permission to miss the domestic tournament which starts on Friday (Sep 5). However, according to Raina, they should have opted to play in the Duleep Trophy considering India are set to face Bangladesh and Australia in an important Test series before the end of the year.

Raina slams Rohit, Virat

“Yes, they should’ve played, you see we haven’t played red-ball cricket ever since the IPL ended. Since we’re heading towards a crucial Test series, one must play 4-day cricket and get used to how the wicket will behave on Day 4. I think they’re mature enough when they will regroup for 4-5 days and start practicing. Sometimes, family time is also important,” Raina told Sports Tak.

India are set to host Bangladesh in a two-match Test series in September and their biggest test will be the five-match series in Australia. With important points up for grabs in the World Test Championship (WTC), Raina has urged the duo to take part in the premier domestic competition which could help them warm up for the upcoming series.

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Currently, Virat is in the UK spending time with his family while Rohit has also opted to stay away from action. However, they are likely to return for the Test series against Bangladesh in September and are also expected to play in the ODI series. Virat particularly has a wonderful record against the Aussies having scored 2,042 runs in 25 Test matches. He also has 1,352 runs on the Aussie soil which makes him one of the best players for India Down Under.