Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has questioned Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's lack of game time, and long break ahead of the Bangladesh Test series, which is scheduled to start on September 18.
The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) had asked all India internationals to make themselves available for participation in the four-day Duleep Trophy, which also coincides with the beginning of the country's new domestic season.
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However, BCCI secretary Jay Shah and the selection committee, had made exceptions for the likes of Kohli, Rohit and Jasprit Bumrah, making it not mandatory for them to participate in the Duleep Trophy.
The first round of Duleep Trophy is set to start on September 5. Gavaskar questioned the two cricketers' decision not to participate in this tournament, which would have otherwise given them some match practice.
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What did Sunil Gavaskar say about Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's decision not to play Duleep Trophy?
The former India opener Sunil Gavaskar had shared his thoughts in his Mid-Day column, about Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's non-participation in the Duleep Trophy 2024, arguing that the two stars will not have enough match practice ahead of the next Test series.
"The selectors have not picked skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the Duleep Trophy, so they will most likely go into the Bangladesh Test series without much match practice," Gavaskar said.
On the other hand, he made exceptions to Jasprit Bumrah, for the reason that his workload management is "understandable" as fast bowlers are prone to back injuries.
"While it’s understandable that somebody like Jasprit Bumrah with his delicate back needs to be handled with care, the batters could have done with some batting time out in the middle," he added.
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Gavaskar suggested that it is crucial for players to participate in matches regularly, once they reach their mid-thirties, to maintain their form and standards.
Virat Kohli is currently 35 years-old, while Rohit Sharma is 37 years-old, and they are likely to continue playing international cricket for at least the next 3 years, until the ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa.
"Once a player hits the mid-thirties in any sport, then regular competition will help him maintain the high standards he has set. When there’s a longish gap, then the muscle memory weakens somewhat and to get back to the high standards from earlier is not easy," the batting legend concluded.
The Indian team is scheduled to play two Tests matches against Bangladesh, with the first Test starting on September 19 in Chennai and the second Test will begin on September 27 in Kanpur. This Test series will be part of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle, where India is currently top of the points table.
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