Mumbai: Following India's embarrassing home whitewash by New Zealand, the first such loss on Indian soil, questions are surfacing about why senior players aren’t participating in the Ranji Trophy, India’s premier domestic tournament.
For the record, star batter and former captain Virat Kohli struggled with the bat against New Zealand, managing only single-digit scores during his innings on a challenging pitch at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
Kohli, who represents Delhi in domestic cricket, last appeared in the Ranji Trophy in 2012. It’s now been nearly 12 years since he last played in India’s primary domestic competition.
Veteran cricket commentator Milind Wagle, who recently marked 50 years in his profession, voiced his opinion on social media. "In my opinion… Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should opt out of the Australian tour, play domestic cricket, regain confidence, and then return to the Indian side. They are still world-class players,” Wagle wrote on his Facebook page.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Wagle elaborated, "Both Rohit and Virat should not consider retirement. Instead, they should focus on regaining confidence by playing in the Ranji Trophy, as they are some of the best talents we have. In his last Ranji Trophy game, Virat managed scores of only 14 and 43 against Uttar Pradesh, a match that featured former India bowlers Praveen Kumar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar."
The case is similar for Rohit Sharma. It has been several years since the Indian captain turned up for Mumbai in a Ranji game. His last appearance for Mumbai was in November 2015 against Uttar Pradesh.
Sharma himself admitted to needing to assess his batting. "I accept that I haven't batted well in this series. It’s only been these two series where I haven’t had enough time in the middle. But in the previous series before Bangladesh, I had a lot of time at the crease," the cricketer said candidly at the post-match press conference.
“As you grow, you try to evolve, and I’m doing the same, seeing what else I can improve. Sometimes, though, this evolution leads you in the wrong direction, which is exactly what happened here. I’ll take a look at my game and figure out what I can improve,” he added.
Rohit's recent outings in the Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand have not been promising. He scored only 42 runs in four innings against Bangladesh, averaging a mere 10.50, followed by just 91 runs in six innings against New Zealand at an average of 15.16. Currently, he averages 33.32 across 14 Tests, with three centuries and four 50s. Kohli’s record has also been underwhelming, with only 561 runs in 16 innings of nine Tests at an average of 37.66, including one century and three 50s.
Speaking to JioCinema, former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull, explained that in difficult phases, players tend to reflect on their game. According to Doull, both Sharma and Kohli have the skills to bounce back, but it ultimately boils down to mental strength.
"When you’ve been at such a high level and then experience a slump, you start questioning yourself. Am I doing something wrong? Should I change something? Are my reactions just a tad slower than five years ago when I was seeing every ball like a pumpkin? Age does affect you eventually. Rohit is facing the same challenges," he said.
“Can they turn it around? Do they have the ability? Absolutely. We know the skill level they bring to the game. The real question is whether they have the mental fortitude and resilience to push through,” he added.
As the next round of the ongoing Ranji Trophy approaches, the question remains: Will the senior players participate? It’s a million-dollar question that only the BCCI can answer.
