Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar spoke highly of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and shared his opinion on how crucial their presence is in the Indian team, saying that the two stalwarts’ place in the team should never have been a doubt. Both Kohli and Rohit performed brilliantly in the recently concluded ODI series against South Africa, which India won 2-1. While Rohit scored two half-centuries in three matches, registering scores of 57 and 75 in the first and third ODIs that India won, Kohli finished with 302 runs in the three games, including two centuries and an unbeaten half-century.
“I don’t think the place of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the team should have been a question. Look at what they have done over so many years. They have retired from two formats, so it’s obvious they might take just a couple of sessions to get back into action, because they have done it so often. They don’t need to play as many matches as a younger player,” Bangar said on JioHotstar.
“Once they are there, once they are hungry and fit, you want players of that quality. You have to treat them differently and give them space. When they are on song, you see the difference. Their sheer presence changes the dressing room atmosphere. After the humiliating loss in the Test series, they must have spoken to the boys. They helped put things behind and play with freedom and authority, giving the whole team supreme confidence,” he added.
The Indian top-order performed brilliantly in the third and final ODI, helping the Men in Blue clinch the series after the bowlers did their part in restricting the Proteas to a low total in the first innings. While Rohit and Kohli notched up half-centuries, the former’s opening partner, Yashasvi Jaiswal, scored his maiden ODI ton.
