The call for Indian cricket legends Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to be ‘treated differently’ emerged powerfully following their dominant performances in the ODI series against South Africa, which India won 2-1.
This sentiment, strongly voiced by former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar, was a direct response to lingering doubts and perceived skepticism from the team management and selectors regarding their form and fitness leading up to the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Despite the duo’s recent retirement from Test and T20I cricket, which naturally reduces their international game time, their spectacular run-scoring in the 50-over format made their continued scrutiny seem unwarranted.
Virat Kohli was named Player of the Series, amassing a phenomenal 302 runs across the three ODIs, including two centuries and a half-century, while Rohit Sharma contributed two crucial fifties with a total of 146 runs. Bangar argued that their combined decades of experience and monumental contributions to Indian cricket necessitate a more nuanced and respectful approach.
He stressed that players of their caliber, having retired from other formats, only need a couple of sessions to get back into their rhythm and should not be subjected to the same requirements for game time, such as compulsory participation in domestic tournaments like the Vijay Hazare Trophy, as younger players.
The heart of Bangar’s message was the need to ‘give them space’ and acknowledge that their sheer presence and hunger for success are invaluable. Their performance effectively silenced critics who had hinted that the two veterans might need to consistently prove themselves to retain their spots.
Beyond their individual runs, Bangar also highlighted the immense psychological lift and supreme confidence their presence provided to the entire squad, especially after the humiliating loss in the preceding Test series.
Ultimately, the successful South Africa ODI campaign served as a timely and forceful reminder that Kohli and Rohit, when fit and motivated, remain world-class match-winners and the indispensable core around which India’s ODI future, up to the 2027 World Cup, should be built.
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