'Both Rohit & Virat would only have benefited...' - Former India batter slams BCCI for resting Ro-Ko during Duleep Trophy 2024

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has slammed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for resting Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma during the Duleep Trophy 2024, where most players were included. Before the series, a lot of former players urged BCCI to push the senior players towards playing domestic games, but that didn't happen.

After a rest of 40 days, they played against Bangladesh and then against New Zealand, where none of the batters could score many runs. The outrage has reached a point where experts and fans are blaming the senior players for missing the domestic games, which has them not scoring runs in the international setup. 

Manjrekar said, "The big learning for the selectors from this home season is that do not rest the already well-rested players because of their stature. I say this again, both Rohit & Virat would only have benefited from playing the Duleep Trophy start of the season.”

The Indian team faced a lot of challenges in the Test series against New Zealand, where the pitches played a huge role. With the BGT 2024 coming soon, skippers can't afford to make such mistakes again, or else the dream of WTC qualification will shatter within no time. One loss against Australia will throw India out of contention. 

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's place in jeopardy

The batting stalwarts of India, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, are the most discussed cricketers in the country right now after a below-par performance against New Zealand. In the Test series, both batters scored one half-century in the first Test match, and then the runs drought continued. It seemed like there was a lack of intent in the players, and the error in judgment was more consistent than scoring runs.

The Kiwis whitewashed the series and became the first team to do so after years. This happened because of India's batting failure and the fact that the senior players couldn't step up when needed. To avoid the repetition of mistakes, the Board will have to take strict measures ahead of the upcoming series.