NEW DELHI: Despite India securing a massive 280-run victory in the first Test against Bangladesh, skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli struggled to make an impact.
The team went 1-0 up in the two-match series, thanks to standout performances from Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, and Ravindra Jadeja.
However, the underwhelming showing by Rohit and Kohli has prompted former India opener Sanjay Manjrekar to question whether players are being given preferential treatment based on their reputation.
“I’m not worried, but I’m sure somebody made a note of the fact that they would have been better off had they played some red-ball cricket. There was the option of picking them in the Duleep Trophy. So one has to be careful about treating certain players differently and do what’s best for Indian cricket and for the player. Virat and Rohit not playing (Duleep Trophy) was not good for Indian cricket, nor was it good for the two players. Had they played the Duleep Trophy and had some time in the red-ball cricket, things would have been different,” Manjrekar said on ESPNCricinfo.
Manjrekar is confident that both Kohli and Rohit possess the skills and talent to overcome their current struggles and regain their form. However, he has expressed concern over a long-standing issue within the Indian cricket team: the preferential treatment given to certain high-profile players.
“But they have the class and experience to make a comeback later in the series, and I don’t see them, for that reason, not being in form. But something that one must make a quiet note of, and that has been a problem with Indian cricket for a long time now, is that certain players get picked out for special treatment because of their status, which eventually hurts that player more than anyone else,” he said.