Sanjay Manjrekar, Former India cricketer and commentator, has invited criticism after saying that Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah could’ve played in the Duleep Trophy tournament.
The Duleep Trophy will commence on September 5, 2024, at Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, and Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Despite the inclusion of certain key players such as Axar Patel, KL Rahul, and Shubman Gill, the absences of Kohli, Rohit, and Bumrah have prompted concerns about the team’s preparation for the next Test series against Bangladesh.
India will begin a long season of red-ball cricket with 10 Tests on September 19. They will host Bangladesh and New Zealand for five Tests before embarking on a historic five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy trip to Australia in November.
Rohit and Kohli will enter the Test season with scant red-ball experience, having chosen to forego the first round of the Duleep Trophy, which begins on September 5 in Bengaluru and Anantapur.
Rohit led India to a 4-1 Test series win over England in early March, while Kohli last played a Test in South Africa in January. Meanwhile, Bumrah has been given an extended sabbatical since India’s T20 World Cup victory, missing the subsequent Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka tours.
Rohit Sharma has played only 59%, Virat Kohli 61% & Jasprit Bumrah 34%: Sanjay Manjrekar
India’s batting against spin was scrutinized in the Sri Lanka ODIs after losing to the hosts for the first time in 27 years. Tweakers took 28 of the Men in Blue’s 30 wickets during the series.
Hence Sanjay Manjrekar, on X, pointed out that Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah should’ve not skipped the Duleep Trophy tournament. Manjrekar provided eye-opening statistics, highlighting Rohit, Kohli, and Bumrah’s international cricket outings.
In a post on X, Manjrekar stated that India had played around 250 matches (242 from August 28, 2019) across formats in the last five years. Although Rohit (142) and Kohli (146) have been India’s busiest international players, they have played “only” 59 and 61 percent of the total matches, respectively.
“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,” he posted.
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.
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) August 28, 2024
India is scheduled to play 15 Tests by August 2025, omitting the WTC final. Aside from Rohit and Kohli, a slew of India’s first-choice Test players are set to compete in the Duleep Trophy, representing four teams.
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