Navjot Singh Sidhu has come out in favor of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, claiming that India's top hitters would overcome their current slump and thrive again. Sidhu emphasized the duo's resilience and vital role in India's long-term cricket success.
India's recent problems in Test cricket, particularly a 3-1 series loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024), have raised questions about Rohit and Kohli's futures in the longer format. Their erratic performances, along with increasing pressure from fans and critics, have generated concerns about their capacity to rebound.
Sidhu believes that their previous achievements merit patience and faith. Sidhu praised Kohli's ability to self-reflect and solve technical flaws. Rohit emphasized the need to improve fitness to restore form.
"Someone who has scored 80 centuries, and has close to 10,000 runs (Virat Kohli), no one needs to tell him anything. He will go home, watch the videos, and he will understand that his bat is playing away from the body. He will come up with a solution too. That's the same with Rohit.
Comparing Rohit and Virat in terms of technique is very odious. He just has to work on his body fitness. He is a fantastic player, he is pure gold... How much have I met Rohit Sharma? Maybe 20 minutes on the ground during IPL. Today he wasn't able to play well against Australia, but in the T20 World Cup, it was Rohit Sharma who hit Mitchell Starc for 3 sixes. Has everyone forgotten that? He is human after all. The more he practices, he will get better and better," Sidhu said on Sports Today.
Rohit had one of his poorest Test performances in 2024-25, scoring only 164 runs in 15 innings at a dreadful average of 10.93.
His problems extended to his captaincy, with judgments lacking clarity during important periods, most notably the shocking 0-3 series loss to New Zealand. Critics have also highlighted that his batsmanship appeared to have an impact on his leadership confidence.
Despite his dip, Rohit Sharma buried doubts over his Test future in a forthright interview with the announcer during the lunch break on Day 2 of the Sydney Test match. His leadership during India's 2024 T20 World Cup victory demonstrates his capacity to deliver under difficult conditions.
Virat Kohli's career has been marked by flashes of brilliance interspersed with periods of inconsistency. He showed potential with a century in Perth during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
But struggled to sustain his success, hitting just 85 runs in the last four Tests. Bowlers exploited his weakness outside the off-stump, raising questions about his adaptability.
"Kohli thrives on challenges, and this phase is just another obstacle he will overcome," Sidhu said.
With the Champions Trophy quickly approaching, both Rohit and Kohli are under intense pressure to deliver. The forthcoming ODI series against England will be a critical test for the two to restore their rhythm if they play in the series.
