“Take harsh decisions”: Rohit Sharma told to drop himself and Virat Kohli for Sydney Test

India's disappointing loss to Australia in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne has led to sharp criticism from former cricketer Surinder Khanna, who questioned the form and performance of key players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.

Surinder Khanna launched a scathing attack on the underfire Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma by saying that they had not been living up to expectations in the ongoing five-match Test series Down Under. However, the duo had a poor year in 2024 with the bat in Test cricket, as they both averaged under 25 this year.

Surinder Khanna questions Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's place in the Test side after India's Boxing Day Test hammering

Khanna argued that Rishabh Pant is often under the spotlight for his aggressive style, but it's the lack of consistency from Kohli and Rohit that is raising concerns for Team India at the moment. He pointed out that both players have struggled over their last 40 to 45 innings and suggested they should consider retirement if the selectors do not take action.

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The former Indian cricketer also questioned Kohli and Rohit’s presence on the Australia tour and said that the duo should automatically sit outside by themselves, as neither the Indian chief selector Ajit Agarkar nor the national team management can throw them out of the Test side.

Surinder Khanna was quoted as saying by ANI: “What are Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli doing? Remove attention from Rishabh Pant. He used to play like this only from day one. He will continue to make such mistakes. Tell me about Kohli and Rohit. What have they been doing since the last 40-45 innings? They should automatically sit outside; if selectors are not doing it, then they should do it themselves. You and I can't throw them out.”

Surinder Khanna slams Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma over poor form

With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s form at an all-time low, Khanna raised the issue of how both the batting icons from India, known for their signature shots, had not been able to use their winning shot and make the same impact as players like David Gower and Gundappa Vishwanath, who were masters of the cut shot and played with finesse for years.

Khanna further explained, “The kind of form they are in, even if you bowl, they will get out. I am saying this from experience. The shot, which is their scoring one, why should they not play? David Gower and Gundappa Vishwanath scored so many runs by playing cut shots.”

Read Also: Jasprit Bumrah named captain, Pat Cummins left out of Cricket Australia's Test Team of the Year 2024

Furthermore, Khanna criticized Kohli and Rohit for their poor form and urged the national selectors to take a call if they don’t announce their retirement from Test cricket. He emphasized that India should focus on playing young players, as they performed well under Bumrah's captaincy.

Since Rohit came back, we have been struggling: Surinder Khanna

Surinder Khanna also pointed out that the Indian cricket team has been struggling in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 since Rohit Sharma’s return, saying tough decisions are necessary to win. The former Indian cricketer also insisted that the fans have the right to speak up as they watch the team suffer.

He signed off by saying, “Our batters Kohli and Rohit are out of form, and selectors need to take a call. If they are not announcing...then selectors need to announce something. Going into the next test, playing youngsters, we will win, like under Jasprit Bumrah we won the first test. We outclassed Australia. Since Rohit came back, we have been struggling. I may sound harsh, but you have to take harsh decisions if you want to win. We watch, we cry... we have the right to say this.”