Gavaskar Criticizes Rohit, Iyer’s Intent After Ranji Loss

Sunil Gavaskar expressing concern over Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer's performance after a Ranji Trophy loss.

Former India head Sunil Gavaskar has increased concerns about the intent and performance of Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer during Mumbai’s recent Ranji Trophy group match against Jammu and Kashmir at the MCA Ground in Mumbai. Mumbai suffered a five-wicket loss, with Rohit scoring 3 and 28 across two innings, while Iyer managed just 11 and 17. In his Sportstar column, Gavaskar criticized their approach against an attack that took advantage of a pitch with movement. Gavaskar questioned their readiness to apply themselves and grind out runs under challenging conditions, pointing to dismissals caused by an overly aggressive batting approach.

While Mumbai’s top order faltered, Shardul Thakur and Tanush Kotian stood out. Thakur hit a fifty and 119, while Kotian, who recently earned his maiden India call-up for the Australia tour, scored a half-century in the second innings. Gavaskar praised their ability to balance caution with aggression, a quality he emphasized as crucial for red-ball cricket success, especially on pitches offering assistance to bowlers. He highlighted the pitfalls of an all-out attacking approach, which can yield results on flat tracks but fails when faced with challenging conditions, such as those seen during India’s recent Test loss in Sydney against Australia.

Gavaskar expressed disappointment with the current mindset of Indian Test batters, pointing to unnecessary dismissals caused by lapses in judgment and a lack of patience. He stressed the need for common sense and a calculated approach to batting, especially when an additional 50 runs could significantly impact the outcome of matches and series.

Further, Gavaskar questioned whether Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer participated in the Ranji Trophy game out of genuine commitment or to comply with the BCCI’s renewed mandate prioritizing domestic cricket participation for national team selection. The mandate responded to India’s underwhelming performance during the Australia tour. Gavaskar speculated whether their participation was driven by the need to secure BCCI contracts, recalling instances where players like Iyer and Ishan Kishan faced consequences for missing Ranji matches last season.

The batting legend also addressed the impact of Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s inclusion in the Mumbai team, which resulted in the exclusion of Ayush Mhatre, a promising player with centuries and fifties. Gavaskar expressed hope that Mhatre took the opportunity to learn from senior players like Rohit and Iyer during the match.

Looking ahead, Gavaskar expressed anticipation for the participation of key players like KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, and Mohammed Siraj in the upcoming round of the Ranji Trophy. The final round of the domestic competition begins on January 30. Gavaskar is keen to see how these national team regulars perform in the domestic circuit after missing previous matches due to injuries.