Top Indian cricketers deny Ajit Agarkar's Duleep Trophy request, claim 'lack of motivation': Report

Many experts have pointed to a lack of match practice and poor shot selection as key factors behind India's disappointing batting display against New Zealand. Both captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had below-par performances in the series, resulting in India's first-ever whitewash in a home Test series (of at least three matches). Critics have questioned the decision of Sharma and Kohli to skip the Duleep Trophy, where many other Test players got valuable game time.

According to a report in The Indian Express, the selectors had planned for the participation of all the top players in the Duleep Trophy, which was held in Bengaluru and Anantapur between September 5 and 22, in a bid to provide them with match practice. However, while players like Kohli and Rohit did agree initially, they withdrew, citing “lack of motivation.”

The report further revealed that following the decision from Rohit Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah, the selectors had decided to release Ravindra Jadeja as well, who had agreed to participate in the Duleep Trophy. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul and Washington Sundar were among the India players who were part of the domestic tournament.

In 10 innings this year, the former captain amassed only 192 runs at 21.33, comprising a solitary fifty, his worst performance at home in a calendar year where he has batted at least in five innings. 93 of those runs came in the New Zealand series, at 15.50, his lowest in a Test contest on home soil in seven years and second-worst overall.

Rohit, on the other hand, scored 533 runs in 19 innings this year at 28.05, his average being the worst for a calendar-year show at home. Only 42 of those runs came in the series against Bangladesh in September, his second-worst show in a contest at home and worst in nine years, while 91 runs came against New Zealand at 15.16 (fourth on the list).

“They should have had some practice, definitely. It’s a long gap. I know we beat Bangladesh and therefore, it looked as if it was going to be a cakewalk against New Zealand,” former India captain Sunil Gavaskar told The Indian Express on Sunday. “But New Zealand, obviously, had a better attack, with cricketers who have played in India and in the IPL, who have a sense of what Indian pitches do,” he said.