'Does this rule apply for Virat Kohli as well?' - Virender Sehwag questions skipper for resting in form Rohit Sharma

When Virat Kohli at the toss of the first T20I revealed his XI for the match, the absence of Rohit Sharma had shocked many fans and experts. It was surprising as less than 24 hours ago, Kohli himself had said at the pre-series press conference that Sharma will open the innings with KL Rahul. Yet, the Indian captain said that Rohit has been rested for the first couple of T20Is.

The decision to rest the T20I vice-captain wasn’t taken too well, especially after the top order failed miserably in the first match. Kohli scored a duck while Rahul managed only one. Shikhar Dhawan played a scratchy little knock of 4 runs from 12 balls, as the man in form Rohit watched from the sidelines. Former Indian players Virender Sehwag and Ajay Jadeja heavily criticised team India’s call decision.

While talking in the Cricbuzz Live show, Jadeja first talked about how no batsman in the world wants to take a rest when he is in good batting form. “No batsman wants to rest. This game runs on rhythm, so when you are in form, you always want to continue batting. This is exactly what England was trying to do in the Test matches. They rested their key players and the scoreline says it all,” Ajay Jadeja said on the show. 

I don’t remember a time captain Kohli has taken a break by himself: Virender Sehwag

After this, Sehwag soon jumped on the wagon to fire some shots at captain Kohli. “It was said that Rohit Sharma will take a break in a couple of matches, but does this rule apply for Virat Kohli as well. As a captain, I don’t think he comes and says that I will take a break for the next two or three matches. I don’t remember a time captain Kohli has taken a break by himself. If the skipper is not taking a break, so how does he give others the break? That should depend on the player,” Sehwag said on the show. 

Rohit was in superb form with the bat in the Test series. He was India’s highest run-getter and in good touch with the bat, unlike the others. “If Rohit has played the four Tests and performed well and he is in form, so he would be waiting desperately to get back to white-ball cricket and transfer that form. In Test cricket, you don’t get the freedom to express yourself, so when the white-ball comes players generally think ‘why should I defend when I can bat freely, hit fours and sixes while entertaining myself and the crowd as well’,” Sehwag further added. 

Sehwag then went on to raise the question that if Rohit comes back in the side, will Kohli take his share of rest. “So the question is whether Virat Kohli will rest himself when Rohit comebacks and plays? Whenever you feel like, you (Kohli) give a break to Rohit, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, but the same doesn’t apply to you?”