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Sanjay Manjrekar feels Virat Kohli should consider playing a season of County cricket to prepare in English conditions.
Virat Kohli (AP Photo)
Sanjay Manjrekar feels Virat Kohli should play in the English County Championship to regain form ahead of India’s Test tour of England.
India and England will lock horns in four Tests in June-July, and Kohli will be desperate for a turnaround in his fortunes after dismal outings against New Zealand and Australia recently.
Speaking on Star Sports’ Deep Point podcast, Manjrekar stressed on Kohli gaining some much-needed practice in red-ball cricket in English conditions before the Tests come calling.
“Kohli needs to play a lot of red-ball cricket. The first Test in England is in June, while the County Championship begins in April. He could join a county team, like Pujara did, and gain valuable match practice,” Manjrekar said.
“India can then evaluate his performances in the initial Test matches. If there are positive signs, he can continue. But the last thing you want is Kohli going there and struggling, as we’ve seen before. That wouldn’t be good for Indian cricket. Playing County cricket could be a very sensible move for him,” he added.
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Former India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar voiced his support for Kohli, expressing confidence in the batter’s ability to make a strong comeback thanks to his fitness.
“I’m still backing him. Even at 36 (years old), he’s as fit as ever. His fitness levels are remarkable, and I believe he can continue playing at the highest level,” Bangar said.
Deep Dasgupta emphasised that Sharma and Kohli are incomparable, adding that Sharma needs to address specific concerns to retain his position in the Indian cricket team.
“Let’s not club Rohit and Virat together,” Dasgupta said. “Just like in the previous generation of Indian cricket, where Sachin (Tendulkar) and Rahul (Dravid) were different, you have to evaluate each player individually. 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.”
(With inputs from Agencies)
