Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli cite THIS reason to Ajit Agarkar before pulling out of Duleep Trophy 2024

New Delhi: The recent poor performance of Team India in the three-match Test series against New Zealand has raised serious questions about the team's preparation. Prior to this series, India had dominated Bangladesh in a two-match Test series. In preparation for the New Zealand tour, suggestions were made for top players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, and Jasprit Bumrah to play in the Duleep Trophy to fine-tune their skills. However, none of these star players participated in the domestic tournament, leading to disappointment among experts and fans alike.

Following India’s 0-3 series defeat against New Zealand, numerous former cricketers have pointed to a lack of match practice as a significant factor contributing to the team’s disappointing performance. Recent reports indicate that all four players—Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, and Jasprit Bumrah—initially expressed willingness to participate in the Duleep Trophy but ultimately decided to withdraw their interest. This decision has intensified scrutiny over the players’ preparation leading up to the series.

According to a report by The Indian Express, the selectors had fully prepared for the participation of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, and Jasprit Bumrah in the Duleep Trophy, which took place in Bengaluru and Anantapur from September 5 to 22. However, the four players ultimately withdrew, citing “lack of motivation” as the reason for their decision.

“They should have had some practice, definitely. It’s a long gap. I know we beat Bangladesh and therefore, it looked as if it was going to be a cakewalk against New Zealand,” former India captain Sunil Gavaskar told the paper on Sunday. “But New Zealand, obviously, had a better attack, with cricketers who have played in India and in the IPL, who have a sense of what Indian pitches do,” he further said.

The report also states that Ravindra Jadeja was removed from the Duleep Trophy campaign by the selectors following the withdrawal of Kohli, Rohit, Bumrah, and Ashwin.

The report indicates that selectors subsequently withdrew Ravindra Jadeja from the Duleep Trophy campaign after Kohli, Rohit, Bumrah, and Ashwin decided not to participate.

While Jadeja made a notable impact by claiming a 10-wicket haul in the Mumbai Test across two innings, the performances of Rohit, Kohli, and Ashwin were lackluster. In contrast, Bumrah struggled to find support on the spin-friendly tracks.