Amid the debate on whether stars like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should feature in Ranji Trophy for their respective states, former India batter Yuvraj Singh has opined that a player struggling for form should always return to playing domestic cricket irrespective of his stature in the national team.
Both Kohli and Rohit have come under the scanner for their underwhelming display in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under, which India lost 1-3 to Australia.
Kohli began the marquee series with a second innings hundred (100*) at Perth, but he managed to amass only 90 runs in his other eight innings combined. On the other hand, Rohit was all over the place in the marquee series, managing just 31 runs in five innings at an abysmal average of 6.20 -- the lowest by a touring captain on Australian soil.
The subpar performances of these senior players drew considerable criticism, with many asking them to play domestic red-ball cricket to regain form.
"Domestic cricket is important. I have always felt if you have time and if you are not performing, you should definitely come and play domestic cricket.
"That is the best way to get practice and game time. I feel domestic cricket is very important if you have the time and if you are not injured," said Yuvraj in response to a PTI query at the launch event of the Celebrity Cricket League on Thursday.
While Rohit has turned up in Mumbai's practice sessions ahead of the resumption of Ranji Trophy on January 23, Kohli is yet to show any signs of a domestic comeback for Delhi.
Other international stars such as Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill have confirmed their availability for their respective domestic teams.
Meanwhile, Yuvraj praised Rohit for stepping aside from the Sydney Test due to an extended lean patch. India head coach Gautam Gambhir's role has also come under scrutiny following the BGT debacle but Yuvraj defended both his former teammates.
"I have said it previously also. You guys look at series by series. If India wins a series you talk good things, if they lose you criticise.
"I always look at the team graph over a five-year period or three years. If you talk about Rohit, Gautam has just come into the system, he needs more time. Rohit Sharma has won the T20 World Cup as captain, he was captain when India played the ODI World Cup final. He led MI (Mumbai Indians) to five IPL titles.
"The guy has stepped down from the last match and given somebody else a chance. How many captains have done that in the past? Please tell me," he asked.
He reiterated that losing 0-3 to New Zealand at home was more "questionable". "...that is a tougher pill to swallow," said Yuvraj.
The performances of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Kumar Reddy were the silver linings for India on the tour of Australia, and Yuvraj lauded the young duo for rising to the occasion.
"Nitish scored a hundred on his first tour, it is amazing. Not sure how many have done that. Jaiswal scored 150 plus in his first Test in Australia, it is highly commendable. We should talk about these performances more," Yuvraj remarked.
(With PTI Inputs)
