Criticism continues to pour in thick and heavy in the wake of Team India’s 0-3 Test series defeat against New Zealand. Be it Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, Gautam Gambhir’s insistence on turning tracks, middle-order’s fragile show, or Virat Kohli’s barren run of form, many factors have potentially contributed to India’s worst home series loss in the longest format in history. Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, also a sharp critic of the Indian team, feels the fact that Virat and Rohit skipped the Duleep Trophy also contributed a fair bit to the results the team produced against the Kiwis.

As per a report, both Kohli and Rohit had initially given their agreement towards participation in the domestic red-ball event. However, not long before the squads for the tournament were announced, the duo, as well as a few other senior stars, withdrew their names, citing a ‘lack of motivation’.

As the Indian team sits on a 0-3 loss against New Zealand and stares at a complex challenge against Australia next, Manjrekar has urged the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee to not give ‘the already well-rested’ more breaks.

“The big learning for the selectors from this home season is that do not rest the already well-rested players because of their stature. I say this again, both Rohit & Virat would only have benefited from playing the Duleep Trophy start of the season,” wrote Manjrekar in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Kohli and Rohit will have a big responsibility on their shoulders as the Indian team travels to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, without veterans like Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara. Some experts already suggest that Kohli, Rohit and the spin duo of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have probably played their last Test together at home.