Sanjay Manjrekar thinks that Kohli should be allowed to represent in the English County Championship to regain form ahead of India’s test tour of England.
India will take on England in four tests in June and July, and Kohli will be eager for a change in fortunes after disappointing outings against New Zealand and Australia recently.
Speaking on Star Sports’ Deep Point podcast, Manjrekar emphasized that Kohli desperately needs to play some red-ball cricket in English conditions before the tests begin.
“Kohli has to play a lot of red-ball cricket. The first test in England will be held in June, whereas the County Championship begins in April. He can join a county team, like Pujara, and have some good match practice,” Manjrekar said.
“Then India can see how he performs in the initial test matches. If some positive signs come, he will continue. But you do not want Kohli to find it tough when he gets over there, as we have seen before. It will not be good for Indian cricket. Playing County cricket could be a very sensible move for him,” he added.
Former India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar backed Kohli, saying if there was any man who could return strongly, it would be the batter due to his omnipresent fitness levels.
“I’m still standing behind him. You see, 36 years and he is still as fit: His fitness levels are remarkable. He could go on playing for years and at that level,” said Bangar.
Deep Dasgupta emphasized that Sharma and Kohli are incomparable and that Sharma should address specific concerns to retain his position in the Indian cricket team.
“Dasgupta said, Do not compare Rohit and Virat. Like the last generation of Indian cricket when Sachin (Tendulkar) and Rahul (Dravid) were different, you cannot combine players. For Rohit, the next five months will be primarily international white-ball cricket and the IPL, and those performances will carry a lot of weight. Beyond that, his form in first-class cricket, fitness levels, and chances in the Champions Trophy will come into play. The destiny of the final decision will rest with the selectors.”
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