Kohli, Rohit, Ashwin, Bumrah Opted Out of Duleep Trophy

Ahead of India’s Test series against New Zealand, star players Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, and Jasprit Bumrah reportedly agreed to participate in the Duleep Trophy for match practice but later withdrew, citing "lack of motivation." Their absence has raised questions following India’s 0-3 defeat to New Zealand, with some experts pointing to insufficient preparation as a key factor in the disappointing result.

According to The Indian Express, the selection committee had organised the participation of these senior players in the Duleep Trophy, held in Bengaluru and Anantapur, as part of their lead-up to the New Zealand series. However, they withdrew from the tournament, which took place from September 5 to 22. Sunil Gavaskar, former India captain, suggested that this lack of match practice may have contributed to India’s struggles against New Zealand, whose players had experience on Indian pitches through IPL.

The report also claims that after these senior players opted out, selectors withdrew Ravindra Jadeja from the Duleep Trophy as well. Other players, including Shubman Gill, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and Washington Sundar, did participate in the domestic competition.

Despite Jadeja’s strong performance in the Mumbai Test, Rohit, Kohli, and Ashwin appeared out of form, while Bumrah faced challenges on spin-friendly tracks, further amplifying concerns about the need for domestic match preparation.