The Indian team is going through major changes after Rohit Sharma became the captain and Rahul Dravid took over as the head coach. Under Rohit Sharma, the Indian Team chemistry has significantly changed. The team had individuality under Kohli’s captaincy, but under Sharma’s direction, a new vision has developed. These changes made a lot of changes in the team India’s dressing room. It also had an impact on player roles too. As captains with distinct qualities, this shift has resulted in certain players being overlooked and their chances in the national squad diminishing.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss five players who were quite regular for the Indian team under Virat Kohli’s captaincy and they were important members of the team. But they are not getting any opportunities under Rohit Sharm’s leadership.
1) Mayank Agarwal:
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Mayank Agarwal is known for his aggressive batting in the opening position. He was a promising prospect for the Indian team in his early days. Agarwal started his test career alongside Rohit Sharma in the opening position under the captaincy of Virat Kohli. Agarwal gradually becomes a part of the team under Kohli. Mayank is currently waiting for a chance to prove his significance to the Indian team since Rohit Sharma took over as captain. Although Mayank scored runs in the last Ranji Trophy season. But he has not got any opportunity to represent the Indian team in test cricket.
Mayank Agarwal played 21 test matches for India and scored 1488 runs with an average of 41.33. His highest score in test cricket is 243 against Bangladesh at Indore. Mayank also played five ODIs for Team India.
2) Manish Pandey:
Manish Pandey was the part of 2008 U-19 World Cup-winning Indian team. Virat Kohli was the captain of that U-19 World Cup-winning team. While his position in the team was never guaranteed, Pandey had the chance to prove himself under Kohli’s leadership. However, since Rohit Sharma assumed captaincy, Pandey’s appearances in the Indian team have been scarce, leaving his international career in a state of uncertainty. Pandey had not been able to secure runs regularly under the Indian team’s new management, despite his talent and potential.
Once Manish Pandey was counted as a good choice for Indian Team for limited-over cricket. He played 29 ODIs and T20s for Indian Team.
3) Hanuma Vihari:
Hanuma Vihari became vice-captain in 2018 to serve the Indian team. This opportunity allowed him to play under Kohli’s leadership, even edging out Rohit Sharma from the playing eleven in his debut Test series. Who can forget Hanuma Vihari’s partnership with Ashwin Ravichandran in the third test against Australis at Sydney Cricket Ground on January 11, 2021?
However, under Rohit’s captaincy, Vihari’s appearances in the Indian cricket team have been limited, restricting his chances to showcase his skills. Despite his impressive performances and a strong domestic record, Vihari’s inclusion in the Indian team has not been widely discussed, raising concerns about his prospects.
Hanuma Vihari played 16 test matches and scored 839 runs for Indian Team.
4) Ishant Sharma:
Ishant Sharma is one of the best friends of Virat Kohli. Throughout Kohli’s captaincy, he was instrumental as India’s top fast bowler. However, since 2022, Ishant has been overlooked in the Indian cricket team, despite not officially retiring from the sport. Instead, he can be seen providing expert commentary during the West Indies series, indicating a shift away from his active playing career. Ishant’s absence from the Indian team under Rohit Sharma’s leadership raises questions about his prospects and the role he might play in the squad.
Ishant Sharma played 105 matches and got 311 wickets in test cricket. He got 115 wickets in 80 ODIs. Sharma also played 14 T20 matches for Indian Team.
5) Bhuvneshwar Kumar:
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is known as one of the best swing bowlers of recent times. His skill in white-ball cricket makes him India’s top-speed bowler. Bhuvneshwar Kumar played in T20 Internationals while Rohit Sharma became the captain of the Indian team. However, since Rohit became the Indian cricket team’s captain. His chances of making the ODI squad have dramatically decreased. Bhuvneshwar hasn’t played in an ODI game under Rohit despite being crucial in getting wickets with the new ball. This raises concerns about his role and prospects in the Indian team.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar Played 21 test matches and got 63 wickets for the Indian team. In ODIs, he got 141 wickets in 121 matches. Bhuvneshwar Kumar played 87 T20Is and got 90 wickets. His best bowling in T20I is five for four runs(4-1-4-5) against Afghanistan.
Conclusion:
The Indian cricket team is going through a major transformation after the change in leadership change from Virat Kohli to Rohit Sharma. While Rohit Sharma‘s captaincy has its merits, it has also resulted in several talented players who flourished under Kohli’s guidance being overlooked. Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey, Hanuma Vihari, Ishant Sharma, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, despite their abilities and past contributions, are currently struggling to secure their positions in the Indian team. It will be interesting to see how these players respond as the group changes and seize upcoming opportunities to restore their spots on the national team.