Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar said that the places of veteran batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the ODI team should never have been questioned.
Bangar asserted that Rohit and Kohli have been match-winners for India for a long time and should be treated differently from any young player.
“I don’t think the places of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the team should ever have been in question,” Bangar told JioStar. “Look at what they have done over so many years. They have retired from two formats, so it’s obvious they might take just a couple of sessions to get back into action, because they have done it so often. They don’t need to play as many matches as a younger player.”
Rohit and Kohli’s places in the team were questioned as they have retired from two formats of the game — Tests and T20Is — and had been out of action since the IPL. However, they have answered all their critics through their performances. Rohit hit a century and, with 202 runs from three matches, was the highest scorer in the ODI series against Australia, while Kohli scored 302 runs from three matches, including two hundreds, to finish the recently concluded series against South Africa with the most runs.
“Once they are there, once they are hungry and fit, you want players of that quality. You have to treat them differently and give them space. When they are on song, you see the difference. Their sheer presence changes the dressing-room atmosphere,” Bangar added.
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