Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma stole the show in India’s 2-1 ODI series victory over South Africa.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma stole the show in India’s 2-1 ODI series victory over South Africa at home. Both batting stalwarts only play the ODI format now, having retired from T20Is and Tests.
Kohli earned the Player-of-the-Series accolade for his 302 runs in the three-match series, including two hundreds (135 and 102) and a half-century (65*). On the other hand, Rohit finished the series with scores of 57, 14 and 75.
Even since their Test retirements in May this year, questions have been raised over their ODI future, especially their participation in the 2027 World Cup. However, the veteran duo silenced the doubters with top performances against South Africa.
Meanwhile, former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar has suggested that Kohli and Rohit deserve special treatment and their places in the ODI setup should never have been questioned.
According to Bangar, the two talismans warrant a different evaluation standard, considering their years of contribution and recent strong performances.
"I don't think the place of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the team should have been a question. Look at what they have done over so many years," Bangar told JioStar.
"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. 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," he added.
"When they are on song, you see the difference. Their sheer presence changes the dressing room atmosphere," he continued.
Bangar reckons the ageing pair would have played a pivotal role in lifting the group’s morale after the 0-2 whitewash in the Test series against South Africa.
"After the humiliating loss in the Test series, they must have spoken to the boys. They helped put things behind and play with freedom and authority, giving the whole team supreme confidence," he remarked.