Former Indian cricketers Virender Sehwag and Ajay Jadeja slammed Indian skipper Virat Kohli for resting seasoned opener Rohit Sharma in the first T20I against England.
Ahead of the first T20I match between India and England, Indian skipper Virat Kohli confirmed in a pre-match press conference that Kl Rahul and Rohit Sharma will be the first-choice openers heading into the T20I series against England.
However, at the toss of the first T20I, Virat Kohli surprised everyone when he revealed that Rohit Sharma has been rested for the first couple of T20Is.
The decision to rest Rohit Sharma was criticized even more when the Indian top order failed and was reduced to 20/3. Virat Kohli scored a duck while Kl Rahul managed to score only one. Shikhar Dhawan struggled and scored only 4 runs from 12 deliveries.
Addressing Team India’s decision to rest Rohit Sharma former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja said that no batsman wants to rest. He added that England rested their key players in the Test series against India and the scoreline says it all
“No batsman wants to rest. This game runs on rhythm, so when you are in form, you always want to continue batting. This is exactly what England was trying to do in the Test matches. They rested their key players and the scoreline says it all,” Ajay Jadeja told Cricbuzz.
Addressing the same, former Indian skipper Virender Sehwag slammed Indian skipper Virat Kohli for resting Rohit Sharma. He added that if the skipper himself is not talking rest then how does he give others the break.
“It was said that Rohit Sharma will take a break in a couple of matches, but does this rule apply for Virat Kohli as well. As a captain, I don’t think he comes and says that I will take a break for the next two or three matches.
I don’t remember a time captain Kohli has taken a break by himself. If the skipper is not taking a break, so how does he give others the break? That should depend on the player,” Virender Sehwag told Cricbuzz.
Sehwag said that Rohit Sharma, who was in great form in the Test series and was India’s highest run-scorer, would be waiting desperately to get back to the white-ball cricket.
He added that the white-ball matches would have brought the best out of Rohit Sharma by allowing him to hit freely.
“If Rohit has played the four Tests and performed well and he is in form, so he would be waiting desperately to get back to white-ball cricket and transfer that form.
In Test cricket, you don’t get the freedom to express yourself, so when the white-ball comes players generally think ‘why should I defend when I can bat freely, hit fours and sixes while entertaining myself and the crowd as well,” he said.
Sehwag further question Virat Kohli and asked him if he would rest himself when Rohit Sharma comebacks.
“So the question is whether Virat Kohli will rest himself when Rohit comebacks and plays? Whenever you feel like, you (Kohli) give a break to Rohit, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, but the same doesn’t apply to you?”
The second T20I between India and England with take place on Sunday (14th March) at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
(Cricbuzz Inputs)
