After seeing masterclasses from Indian legends Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the last two ODI series, many former players have criticized them questioning their place in the Indian ODI XI. Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar has stressed that his place in the ODI setup should never be questioned.
After India’s heroic win against South Africa in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were once again the architects of the victory and hence received extensive support from one of their former coaches.
While the national selectors and the Indian head coach had doubts over whether Virat and Rohit would be able to maintain their form and fitness till the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup, the scorecards of recent matches tell a different story.
Both the legends have been exceptional batsmen for India, with Rohit Sharma scoring 300+ runs and Virat Kohli scoring 350+ runs in the last two series since their return to international cricket. Both Kohli and Rohit scored three centuries and five half-centuries in their last six innings.
Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar has said that first of all, the form of these two players and their position in the team should never be questioned.
“I don’t think there should have been any question about Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s place in the team. Look at what they have done over the years,” Bangar told Geostar.
“He doesn’t need to play as many games as a young player.” Bangar is against BCCI rules
With both the legends having already retired from the other two formats of international cricket, Bangar felt it would be natural for any player to take some time to adjust to the conditions, but he also said that he has earned enough allowance through his years of experience.
“He has retired from two formats, so it is clear that it will just take him a few seasons to get back into action, because he has done it so often. He does not need to play so many matches as a young player.
“Once they get there, when they’re hungry and fit, you want players of that quality. You have to treat them differently and give them space,” he said.
Virat Kohli and Rohit have proved time and again that they are the greatest limited overs cricketers of modern times, and this is not only because of their records but also because of the atmosphere they bring to the Indian dressing room.
Bangar concluded, “When he’s on song, you see the difference. His mere presence changes the atmosphere of the dressing room.”
Sanjay Bangar gives credit to big players for boosting the morale of the dressing room.
Sanjay Bangar, who has a lot of experience working with Rohit Sharma and with Virat Kohli as he has also coached him in the Royal Challengers Bangalore team, believes that both of them could be the reason behind the high morale of the Indian players.
Bangar reflected, “After the humiliating defeat in the Test series, he must have talked to the boys. He helped them leave things behind and play with freedom and authority, which gave supreme confidence to the entire team.”
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