Sunil Gavaskar expressed concern over Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s absence from the Duleep Trophy squads.
The BCCI recently announced four squads for the upcoming Duleep Trophy, featuring stars like KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja. There was widespread speculation that the board would require all players to participate in domestic competitions during international breaks. However, some players appear to be exempt from this rule. Notably, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami (due to injury), and Hardik Pandya were left out when the BCCI announced the squads for the red-ball competition.
Bumrah’s absence is understandable, given the need to manage his workload due to recent fitness concerns, while Pandya hasn’t played Test cricket since 2018. However, the omission of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli has raised eyebrows, especially with a demanding red-ball season ahead for India, including series against Bangladesh, New Zealand, and Australia.
Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar expressed concern over Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s absence from the Duleep Trophy squads, noting that they might enter the Bangladesh Test series with limited match practice.
“The selectors have not included skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the Duleep Trophy squads, so they are likely to head into the Bangladesh Test series without much match practice,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for *Mid-Day*.
Gavaskar emphasized that as players reach their mid-thirties, it becomes more challenging to maintain high standards due to weakening muscle memory, which can only be countered by playing regular cricket.
“While it’s understandable that someone like Jasprit Bumrah, with his delicate back, needs to be managed carefully, the batters could have benefited from spending some time at the crease. Once a player hits their mid-thirties in any sport, regular competition is crucial for maintaining the high standards they’ve set. When there’s a long gap, muscle memory weakens, and regaining those high standards isn’t easy,” Gavaskar explained.
Doesn’t Make Sense to Add to Virat and Rohit’s Load: Shah
Meanwhile, Kohli hasn’t played red-ball cricket since January, having missed the England Tests for personal reasons, while Rohit last appeared in a Test match in March.
Earlier, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah explained the decision not to select Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, indicating that the board wants to avoid the risk of them picking up injuries by playing domestic cricket, especially with a long red-ball season ahead for the Indian team.
“It doesn’t make sense to add to Virat and Rohit’s workload by having them play domestic cricket. There’s a risk of injury,” Shah stated.
