Former Indian cricketer Deep Dasgupta has sparked a controversial debate over the future of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the Indian cricket team. Dasgupta suggested that comparing the two Indian cricket icons is not fair, saying that their careers and roles should be assessed separately.
Both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma ended their T20I careers on a high after winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 last June in the USA and the Caribbean. But questions are now being raised about their places in India's Test squad after their last disastrous season with the bat.
Deep Dasgupta sparks fresh debate on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's future in India with bold approach
The 2024/25 Test season would certainly be the worst for both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The former Indian captain managed just 382 runs in 19 innings at an average of 22.47, including a century, while Rohit's form has been even more alarming with the bat in Test cricket.
The Indian captain scored just 164 runs in 15 innings at an average of just 10.93 with a solitary half-century. At 37, Rohit's age and declining performances have raised questions about his role in the Test team, especially as he will turn 40 in the next World Test Championship cycle.
The recent performance of the Indian icons in the Australian tour has sparked massive debate over their Test future, and even now the BCCI and the selectors are considering taking a call on their future with the team after the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Don't lump Rohit and Virat together: Deep Dasgupta urges BCCI, selectors
Amid intense scrutiny over their future in India, Deep Dasgupta has given Rohit Sharma five months but is against the idea of assessing Virat Kohli on the same parameters. The former Indian batsman-keeper pointed out that Virat and Rohit are different players, just like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, so the selector has to evaluate the duo differently.
Deep Dasgupta told Star Sports, “Let's not put Rohit and Virat together. Just like in the previous generation of Indian cricket where Sachin (Tendulkar) and Rahul (Dravid) were different, you have to evaluate each player individually.”
With the next five months packed with white-ball matches and IPL 2025, the pressure is mounting on Rohit Sharma to deliver and Dasgupta believes his performances in this period will play a critical role in determining his future in the Indian cricket team.
Deep Dasgupta predicts that the next 5 months are very crucial for Rohit Sharma
Further, the cricket expert pointed out that Rohit's fitness, form in first-class cricket and performance in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will also be crucial factors that the national selectors would consider before to make the final call.
Dasgupta concluded by saying, “For Rohit, the next five months of predominantly international white-ball cricket and the IPL will be crucial. The weight of his performances in these formats will be telling. Beyond that, factors like his first-class cricket form, fitness level and Champions Trophy performance will also be important. The final decision rests with the selectors.”
Notably, Kohli and Rohit are currently preparing for the upcoming three-match ODI series against England at home. This series would be crucial for both of them to prove their critics wrong.