Two of the star Indian batters, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been under the pump due to their recent performances in red-ball cricket. They are feeling the pressure as both finding it hard to score big consistently. The fans and experts have their opinion on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s test future as most of them wanted these two to retire from test cricket. But, despite the failures in the NZ series and BGT (Border-Gavaskar Trophy) 2024-25, they might play a test series in England.
A BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) source has told a news agency called ‘IANS’ that there will be a review meeting, but no one will be fired. Along with Virat and Rohit, Team India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir is also facing the heat because of the poor performances by the team.
A Poor Show by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in BGT 2024-25
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma came into the BGT 2024-25 with short of runs and criticism over their place in test cricket. They have failed to make a significant impact in this series as well.
As far as captain Rohit Sharma is concerned, he only managed to score 31 runs in 5 innings of BGT 2024-25 with an average of 6.2. Before this series, he has only scored 91 runs in the New Zealand series and 42 runs in the Bangladesh series in the home series. Overall, he has scored 164 runs in the last 15 innings in tests.
Virat Kohli, on the other hand, has continued to struggle against the off-stump/outside off-stump balls. He has got out 8 times in the BGT 2024-25, and all 8 times he got out nicking off stump/outside off stump balls. The star batter did score a hundred in the Perth test’s 2nd inning but failed to maintain consistency. Nothing against Virat Kohli, but even that Perth hundred came when the team was already in a strong position.
Virat has scored 190 runs in BGT 2024-25 with an average of 23.75. Before this series, he has scored just 93 runs in 6 innings against New Zealand in a home series. Not just the last few tests, he has failed to deliver big in test cricket for the last few years. He has done a great job with the bat in ODIs for Team India but hasn’t had a huge impact in tests for a while.
REPORTS: Rohit and Virat will play the England Series despite Failures in BGT
According to the report by IANS, no one will be fired by the BCCI despite a poor show in Australia. Before the start of BGT 2024-25, a few media reports are circulating which suggest that India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir’s job will be in jeopardy if India doesn’t win the series. But, Gambhir’s job will not be questioned as per the BCCI source. India has also lost the home test series 3-0 against NZ for the first time in history during Gambhir’s tenure.
Along with Gambhir, the BCCI won’t take any harsh decision against Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. There will be a review meeting, but no one will be fired.
A BCCI source told IANS that – “There will be a review meeting without any action. You can’t remove a coach for the poor performances of the batters. Gambhir will remain Team India’s coach, and Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will play a Test series in England.”
What does Gautam Gambhir say about Rohit and Virat’s test future?
After the series loss, Gautam Gambhir attended the press conference. When the reporter asked about the future of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in tests, Gambhir said ‘it’s up to them’. He also said both the players still have the hunger and passion. Whatever decision they will take is for the betterment of Indian cricket.
“I can’t talk about the future of any player. It is up to them as well. But yes, what I can say is that they still have hunger and passion, they are tough people. Hopefully, they can continue to take Indian cricket forward. But ultimately, as we all know, whatever they plan, it will be in the best interest of Indian cricket.” Gambhir said.
CONCLUSION: Will we see Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli featuring in England vs India test series?
Although Rohit has told Star Sports that he is ‘not going anywhere’, his future in test cricket is not looking good. The age is not in his side and he is not looking in great touch with the bat. India has lost a home series against NZ in his captaincy and it could have been 3 in 3 if the Brisbane test hadn’t washed out due to rain.
As far as Virat Kohli, we might see him playing test cricket for at least two more years. He can push himself for one more WTC (World Test Championship) cycle. His love and passion for test cricket make him think about it. A lot will depend on how much hunger he has to play the longest format. Physical fitness will not be an issue with Virat. It’s the mental fitness and the motivation for him.
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FAQs:-
(1) How many overseas centuries Rohit Sharma has scored in tests?
Rohit Sharma has one overseas century in test, which was against England during the 2021 series at The Oval.
(2) Who will be the next test captain of India if Rohit retires?
There are a few contenders like Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, or maybe again going back to Virat Kohli.
