'Don't club Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli together' - India captain given 5 months to prove his worth

Former Indian cricketer Deep Dasgupta has ignited a controversial debate on the future of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the Indian cricket team. Dasgupta has suggested that comparing the two Indian cricket icons is not fair, saying their careers and roles should be evaluated separately.

Both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma ended their T20I careers on a high after winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in June last year in the USA and Caribbean. But now questions are raised about their places in India’s Test team following their last disastrous season with the bat.

Deep Dasgupta sparks fresh debate on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's India future with bold take

The 2024/25 Test season would certainly be the worst for both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The former Indian captain managed just 382 runs in 19 innings at an average of 22.47, including a century, while Rohit's form has been even more alarming with the bat in Test cricket.

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The Indian captain scored only 164 runs in 15 innings, averaging a mere 10.93 with a solitary half-century. At 37, Rohit's age and declining performances have sparked questions about his role in the Test team, especially since he will be 40 when during the next World Test Championship cycle.

The Indian batting icons’ recent performance on the Australia tour sparked massive debate on their Test future, and even now the BCCI and selectors are reportedly mulling over taking a call on their future with the team after the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Let’s not club Rohit and Virat together: Deep Dasgupta urges BCCI, selectors

Amidst the intense scrutiny over their future in India, Deep Dasgupta has given five months to Rohit Sharma, but he is against the idea of evaluating Virat Kohli on the same parameters. Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter has stressed that Virat and Rohit are different players, just like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, so the selector must evaluate the duo differently.

Deep Dasgupta said on Star Sports: “Let’s not club Rohit and Virat together. Just like in the previous generation of Indian cricket, where Sachin (Tendulkar) and Rahul (Dravid) were different, you have to evaluate each player individually.”

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With the next five months packed with white-ball matches and the IPL 2025, the pressure is mounting on Rohit Sharma to deliver, and Dasgupta believes that his performances during this period will play a critical role in determining his future in the Indian cricket team.

Deep Dasgupta predicts next 5 months are very crucial for Rohit Sharma

Furthermore, the cricket pundit has pointed out that Rohit’s fitness, form in first-class cricket, and performance in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will also be crucial factors that the national selectors would take into consideration before making their final call.

Dasgupta signed off by saying, “For Rohit, the next five months of predominantly international white-ball cricket and the IPL will be crucial. The weight of his performances in these formats will be telling. Beyond that, factors like his first-class cricket form, fitness levels, and performance in the Champions Trophy will also be important. The final decision rests with the selectors.”

Notably, Kohli and Rohit are both currently preparing for the upcoming three-match ODI series against England at home. This series would be crucial for both of them to prove their critics wrong.