'You can decide your retirement' - Manjrekar, Bangar, Dasgupta debate what's next for Rohit, Kohli

After suffering a shock whitewash at home to New Zealand and losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, several questions have been raised about the future of Indian cricket and Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Former cricketers Sanjay Manjrekar, Sanjay Bangar, and Deep Dasgupta discussed what lies ahead for the duo.

Manjrekar expressed strong belief that Rohit will have the autonomy to decide when he retires unless the selectors move on from him first.

"I believe that in Indian cricket, Tendulkar decided his future, and Rohit Sharma will decide his future. Retirement is a personal decision—how long you want to play or how much more you want to contribute is up to the player. Ultimately, though, it’s also up to the selectors—in this case, Mr. Ajit Agarkar and his team,” Manjrekar said on Star Sports’ Deep Point.

Dasgupta emphasised that Rohit and Kohli are incomparable, adding that Rohit needs to address specific concerns to retain his position in the Indian cricket team. 

“Let’s not club Rohit and Virat together,” Dasgupta said. “Just like in the previous generation of Indian cricket, where Sachin (Tendulkar) and Rahul (Dravid) were different, you have to evaluate each player individually. For Rohit, the next five months of predominantly international white-ball cricket and the IPL will be crucial. The weight of his performances in these formats will be telling. Beyond that, factors like his first-class cricket form, fitness levels, and performance in the Champions Trophy will also be important. The final decision rests with the selectors,”

Former RCB head coach Sanjay Bangar remains optimistic about Kohli’s future, backing him for several more years in the Indian setup due to his exceptional fitness.

“I’m still backing him,” Bangar said. “Even at 36 (years old), he’s as fit as ever. His fitness levels are remarkable, and I believe he can continue playing at the highest level.”

Manjrekar suggested that Kohli should consider playing a season of County cricket in England to enhance his Test game in English conditions, similar to what Cheteshwar Pujara has done.

“Kohli needs to play a lot of red-ball cricket,” Manjrekar said. “The first Test in England is in June, while the County Championship begins in April. He could join a county team, like Pujara did, and gain valuable match practice. India can then evaluate his performances in the initial Test matches. If there are positive signs, he can continue. But the last thing you want is Kohli going there and struggling, as we’ve seen before. That wouldn’t be good for Indian cricket. Playing County cricket could be a very sensible move for him.”