Duleep Trophy 2024: Sanjay Manjrekar Questions Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli And Jasprit Bumrah Skipping Tournament

New Delhi: Earlier this month, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee called for all regular India players to participate in the upcoming Duleep Trophy, which will signal the start of the domestic red-ball season in India. This decision was made to ensure that players are adequately prepared for the demanding Test schedule ahead, which includes five home matches across series against Bangladesh and New Zealand, followed by the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Test series in Australia later in December. While a host of top Indian players, along with emerging talents and fringe options, were selected for the Duleep Trophy, key players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah were given rest. This move has caused some concern, particularly with former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, who voiced his worries about their absence ahead of such an important period for the Indian Test team.

On Wednesday, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar took to social media to share revealing statistics about the participation of senior players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah in international cricket. Manjrekar pointed out that India has played nearly 250 matches (242 to be exact) across all formats since August 28, 2019. Despite Rohit (142 matches) and Kohli (146 matches) being the busiest players for the national side, this amounts to only 59% and 61% of the total games played by the team, respectively. Bumrah’s participation, meanwhile, stands at 34%, with him appearing in just 84 matches. Based on these numbers, Manjrekar argued that the trio could have been included in the Duleep Trophy squad, questioning the decision to rest them instead of allowing them to participate in the domestic tournament.

“India has played 249 international matches in the last 5 years. Rohit has played only 59% of those. Virat 61 % & Bumrah 34%. I see them as well rested India players. Could have been selected for the Duleep trophy,” he tweeted.

India has played 249 international matches in the last 5 years. Rohit has played only 59% of those. Virat 61 % & Bumrah 34%. I see them as well rested India players. Could have been selected for the Duleep trophy.

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) August 28, 2024

Former BCCI Secretary Jay Shah clarified that the decision to rest Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah from the Duleep Trophy was made to mitigate the risk of injuries ahead of a demanding Test schedule. “We should not insist that players like Rohit and Virat participate in the Duleep Trophy as it could pose a risk of injury,” Shah explained to the media earlier this month. He highlighted that, much like in Australia and England, not every international player participates in domestic cricket. “We must treat the players with respect and ensure they are preserved for the crucial series ahead,” he added.

Former India batter Sunil Gavaskar, like Sanjay Manjrekar, has expressed concerns about the BCCI’s decision to rest Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah from the Duleep Trophy. Gavaskar worried that the absence of match practice could affect their performance in the upcoming Bangladesh Test series. In his column for the *Mid-Day*, the batting legend explained that players in their mid-thirties benefit from regular competition to sustain their high standards. “The selectors have not included Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the Duleep Trophy squad, so they may enter the Bangladesh Test series without adequate match practice,” Gavaskar noted. He emphasized that maintaining a high level of play is crucial for players of their age to keep their “muscle memory” sharp.