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Senior India Stars Criticized for 'Token Participation' in Ranji Trophy
24 days ago | 5 Views
The return of Virat Kohli to the Ranji Trophy has already marked a significant moment, as evidenced by the unprecedented number of spectators at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Nevertheless, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has expressed concerns that Kohli and other regular Test players appear to be treating the domestic first-class tournament with a lack of seriousness.
Currently, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja are representing Karnataka and Saurashtra, respectively, while India’s captain Rohit Sharma, along with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer, participated in the previous round of matches for Mumbai. Chopra commented on his YouTube channel, stating, "Virat Kohli is prepared to compete in Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. He had been training with Sanjay Bangar in Alibaug, focusing on addressing his back-foot and outside-off issues. He has made efforts and is now back at the Ranji Trophy level."
Among the international players, only Jadeja has participated in both of Saurashtra's matches during this phase of the Ranji Trophy. Kohli and Rahul missed the first round of matches for Delhi and Karnataka, respectively, due to minor injuries, while Rohit, Jaiswal, and Iyer are absent from Mumbai's current match against Meghalaya. Chopra remarked, "Shreyas, Rohit, and Yashasvi have all opted out of Mumbai's crucial match against Meghalaya. Ultimately, it seems everyone is merely fulfilling their obligations."
"Since Virat did not play in the first match of this round, he is participating in this one. The others have merely shown up. What does this indicate? To me, it suggests that this is being perceived as a punishment assignment. However, first-class cricket should not be viewed as a punishment. It is, in fact, a privilege for others to play alongside you, and it presents an opportunity for you to regain your form," Chopra concluded.
India's batting decline in Test cricket
India has experienced a significant setback in Test cricket, failing to qualify for the World Test Championship Final for the first time following a disappointing 2024/25 season. The team suffered a 3-1 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, marking their first loss in this series in a decade. More alarmingly, they faced an unprecedented 3-0 whitewash at home against New Zealand, a team that had never previously won a Test series in India. This season not only ended India's remarkable dominance in home Tests but also highlighted a troubling decline in the performance of their batting lineup.
The downturn in the batting fortunes of key players, particularly Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, was emblematic of the team's struggles. Both players concluded the 2024/25 season with averages that were uncharacteristic of their usual standards. Kohli managed an average of 22.47 across 19 Test innings, despite having scored a century in the opening Test against Australia in Perth. Rohit, conversely, had a particularly challenging season, finishing with an astonishingly low average of 10.93 over 15 innings.
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