Following India captain Rohit Sharma and former skipper Virat Kohli’s underwhelming performances in the opening Test against Bangladesh in Chennai, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has faced criticism for allegedly giving “preferential treatment” to the two players, which some argue has “hurt Indian cricket.”
Unlike other Indian players selected for the series, Rohit, Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah were not included in the Duleep Trophy, which served as preparation for the Test series. While Bumrah impressed with a 4-for-50 in the first innings, Rohit and Kohli struggled, scoring 11 and 21 runs, respectively.
Despite their poor showings, India won the Test by 280 runs, thanks to centuries from Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant, and a standout all-round performance by Ravichandran Ashwin.
However, former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo that things might have been different for Rohit and Kohli if they had participated in the Duleep Trophy. He emphasized the need to avoid giving “special treatment” to certain players based on their status, as it can harm both Indian cricket and the players themselves.
Manjrekar added, “They would have been better off playing some red-ball cricket. The option to include them in the Duleep Trophy was there. One must be careful not to treat certain players differently. Virat and Rohit not playing (Duleep Trophy) wasn’t good for Indian cricket or them.”
Kohli’s form has been under scrutiny, with 81 runs in four innings in 2024, causing his career average to dip to an eight-year low of 48.74. Since 2022, he has scored just 401 runs in seven home Tests, including a lone century. In Asia, his 23 innings since 2021 have yielded only 654 runs at an average of 29.72.