Despite India’s commanding 280-run victory in the first Test against Bangladesh, the performances of skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli have come under scrutiny. While the team took a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, powered by stellar contributions from Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, and Ravindra Jadeja, Rohit and Kohli struggled to make an impact.
Former India opener Sanjay Manjrekar has raised questions about the preferential treatment of certain players based on their reputation. Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar pointed out that both players might have benefited from participating in the Duleep Trophy, gaining some red-ball cricket experience before the series.
I’m not worried, but it’s important to note that they could have been better prepared if they had played some red-ball cricket. The option to play in the Duleep Trophy was there, and one has to be cautious about treating players differently. Virat and Rohit not playing in the Duleep Trophy was not good for them or Indian cricket, Manjrekar said.
While confident that both Kohli and Rohit have the skill and experience to bounce back, Manjrekar emphasized the long-standing issue in Indian cricket—favoritism toward high-profile players.
They have the class to recover and perform later in the series, but it’s important to recognize the issue of certain players receiving special treatment because of their status. In the long run, this hurts those players more than anyone else, he added. With the series still ongoing, all eyes will be on Rohit and Kohli to see if they can regain their form and silence the critics.
