Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s Decision to Skip Domestic Cricket Raises Eyebrows Ahead of New Zealand Series

The recent turn of decisions by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli who rejected Ajit Agarkar’s call-up request to play domestic cricket in Duleep trophy tournaments scheduled between 5 to 22nd of this September in Bengaluru and Anantapur, will draw wide debate in and amongst cricket lovers and the media analysts.

The reasons for the duo’s unwillingness to bat, according to reports, were that they lacked motivation. It comes after India lost to New Zealand and was commented upon by many as lacking sufficient match practice and shot selection.

Concerns have arisen since the New Zealand series that the players are not match-ready. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar felt that the Indian cricket team needed to hit the practice nets harder in this case, especially coming out of a long break in competitive cricket.

He was pointing out that even though they won the matches against Bangladesh, the Indians didn’t take New Zealand very seriously as a side when New Zealand was so well-prepared. The Kiwi bowlers have played a lot of cricket here and in the IPL. They could use the conditions to their advantage, so India was made to fight at the crease.

Performance Issues and Missed Opportunities

It would now come as a bit of relief that two batting maestros, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, have faced some heavy defeats in red-ball cricket as well. Kohli has witnessed a slump for himself and hasn’t done much in this Test for he has scored a minimum of 192 runs at 21.33 off ten innings. A kind of performance that casts further questions on Kohli when he is ready for some huge test situations in Tests matches.

This would have been a perfect opportunity for players to get themselves into the groove and regain form before competing in international competitions. Playing domestic cricket gives players match practice, hence allowing them to adjust to the type of conditions and to face varied bowling attacks. The gap between matches in the current cricket calendar will make one rusty, and this is not ideal at the end of a crucial series.

The Broader Implications

There is a bigger implication for the Indian cricket landscape with key players avoiding domestic competitions. The need for match readiness for senior players has to be balanced with the necessity of workload management. Hence, as the selectors try to build a competitive team, it is essential that all players, including veterans, are adequately prepared for international fixtures.

Platforms like Winexch, often referred to as the “godfather of cricket,” offer fans the chance to follow the action and witness their favorite players in real time. The choices of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for playing in domestic cricket would obviously come under the microscope as the India team tries to make a comeback in future series. Focus on preparation and readiness would remain paramount because that is where the battle to regain the competitive advantage is going to be played.

FAQs

Q. Why did Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli decline domestic cricket?

A. Both players reportedly declined Ajit Agarkar’s offer to play for the Duleep Trophy as they had lost interest.

Q. How has Virat Kohli performed in red-ball cricket this season?

A. Virat Kohli has not been performing well in red-ball cricket as he has managed to score only 192 runs in 10 innings, which is considered his worst season with an average of 21.33.

Q. What did Sunil Gavaskar say about the preparation of the players?

A. Gavaskar said that practice should not be neglected, “If there is a big gap without competitive cricket in between, then the cricketers will be under much pressure to perform against any team, including a strong NZ team.”

Q. Where can one watch some live cricket?

A. Cricket viewers can now see live cricket free of charge with websites such as Winexch offering access to several tournaments and matches.