Delhi: In June 2024, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had a big celebration by winning the T20 World Cup. But, by the end of the year, both of India’s most experienced players went through the worst phase of their careers. India’s performance in the 2024/25 Test season was very poor, due to which they were eliminated from the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) for the first time. The main reasons behind this poor performance were the poor batting of Rohit and Kohli and lack of bowling by Jasprit Bumrah.
‘Don’t judge Rohit-Virat together’
Former Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Deep Dasgupta said that Rohit’s career could be decided in the coming months and his situation should be seen separately from Virat. He said on Star Sports, “Don’t judge Rohit and Virat together. Just like Sachin (Tendulkar) and Rahul (Dravid) were seen differently in the previous era, similarly each player should be evaluated differently.”
Rohit’s performance in 2024/25
In the 2024/25 Test season, Virat Kohli scored 382 runs in 19 innings at an average of just 22.47. Although these innings included a century, he scored only 282 runs in the remaining 18 innings.
But, Rohit Sharma’s figures are even more disappointing. The Indian captain scored only 164 runs in 15 innings, the average being 10.93. During this period, only one half-century was registered in his name. His age is 37 years and if the next WTC cycle is completed then he will cross 40.
Question on Rohit’s captaincy
Rohit’s captaincy is also under criticism. India has lost 5 out of the last 6 test matches under his leadership. This included an embarrassing 3-0 defeat against New Zealand at home, ending India’s record home Test winning streak. After this, India also lost the last match of the series against Australia and lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after 10 years.
Deep Dasgupta said, “The next 5 months, which will be mostly based on white-ball cricket and IPL, are very important for Rohit. The weight of his performance in these formats will matter a lot. Apart from this, the performance of first class cricket, fitness and Champions Trophy will also be decisive. Ultimately the decision will be taken by the selectors.”
