“Give exposure to other youngsters” – Ravi Shastri wants BCCI to manage Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's workload ahead of ODI World Cup
Former India cricketer Ravi Shastri wants Team India to manage the workload of captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup at home.
The cricketer-turned-commentator reckons Team India should give more opportunities to youngsters heading into the ICC event. He feels that the experienced players will already be ready for the tournament.
The statement came after both Kohli (14) and Sharma (15) failed to deliver with the bat for Team India during the first innings of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at The Oval.
For the uninitiated, the duo have been playing continuously since the Border-Gavaskar trophy in February.
India’s top order has failed to deliver yet again in an important ICC knockout game ❌🇮🇳
#AUSvIND #WTC23 #CricketTwitter https://t.co/ZeV8BRp1MM
Shastri told Star Sports on Day 3 of the WTC final:
“I would say, it’s very tough to play all three formats. There are players who can play. For example – Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli can still play all three formats.
"Having said that, they don’t need to play all matches; give exposure to other youngsters. A big tournament is coming up – the World Cup. Bring them (back to the team) close to that; (let them) spend some time with the team and play.”
He continued:
“They have quality, but also give opportunities to other players during the 11-month cycle. For example, Virat and Bumrah are a certainty on the side. They don’t need to play all the games.
"Bring experienced players with the team one month ahead of the World Cup. They will get back into form, but there are many other players as well.”
Interestingly, Rohit and Kohli have already been rested in T20Is following the 2022 T20 World Cup.
All eyes on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ahead of India’s second innings in WTC final
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli might have failed to score big for Team India in the first innings of the WTC final, but they have an opportunity to make amends in the second.
The duo love batting against Australia. Kohli has amassed 1993 runs in 25 Tests, including eight centuries, against the Aussies. Overall, he has scored 4959 runs in 93 games against them, including 16 tons, with a top score of 186.
Meanwhile, Sharma has scored 665 runs in 12 Tests, including one ton and three half-centuries, against Australia. Overall, he has 3848 runs in 76 games against them.
Click here to follow the WTC 2023 final scores.