Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli gave THIS ‘excuse’ to Ajit Agarkar before withdrawing from Duleep Trophy 2024

New Delhi: Team India’s disastrous showing in the three-match Test series against New Zealand has sparked significant concerns regarding the players’ preparation. Prior to this series, India had convincingly defeated Bangladesh in a two-match Test series. In the lead-up to the New Zealand assignment, there were recommendations for stars like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, and Jasprit Bumrah to participate in the Duleep Trophy as part of their preparations. However, none of these key players took part in the domestic competition, leaving many experts disappointed with their absence.

Following India’s 0-3 series defeat against New Zealand, numerous former cricketers have pointed to a lack of match practice as a significant factor contributing to the team’s disappointing performance. Recent reports indicate that all four players—Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, and Jasprit Bumrah—initially expressed willingness to participate in the Duleep Trophy but ultimately decided to withdraw their interest. This decision has intensified scrutiny over the players’ preparation leading up to the series.

According to a report by The Indian Express, the selectors had fully prepared for the participation of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, and Jasprit Bumrah in the Duleep Trophy, which took place in Bengaluru and Anantapur from September 5 to 22. However, the four players ultimately withdrew, citing “lack of motivation” as the reason for their decision.

“They should have had some practice, definitely. It’s a long gap. I know we beat Bangladesh and therefore, it looked as if it was going to be a cakewalk against New Zealand,” former India captain Sunil Gavaskar told the paper on Sunday. “But New Zealand, obviously, had a better attack, with cricketers who have played in India and in the IPL, who have a sense of what Indian pitches do,” he further said.

The report also states that Ravindra Jadeja was removed from the Duleep Trophy campaign by the selectors following the withdrawal of Kohli, Rohit, Bumrah, and Ashwin.

The report indicates that selectors subsequently withdrew Ravindra Jadeja from the Duleep Trophy campaign after Kohli, Rohit, Bumrah, and Ashwin decided not to participate.

While Jadeja made a notable impact by claiming a 10-wicket haul in the Mumbai Test across two innings, the performances of Rohit, Kohli, and Ashwin were lackluster. In contrast, Bumrah struggled to find support on the spin-friendly tracks.