Former India opener Sadagoppan Ramesh has criticised the Indian team management for putting unnecessary pressure on senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli following the ODI series defeat to England. Ramesh believes the experienced duo deserve greater backing, especially considering their consistent performances in the 50-over format and their continued presence among the world’s top-ranked ODI batters.
Over the past year, Rohit and Kohli have faced constant speculation regarding their futures, particularly after stepping away from Test and T20I cricket. Ahead of the third ODI against England at Lord’s, reports even suggested that the match could be Rohit’s final appearance for India in the format after consecutive low scores in the first two games.
However, the veteran opener answered his critics in emphatic fashion, smashing a magnificent 138 off 110 balls to become the first Indian batter to score an ODI century at Lord’s. Although India fell 27 runs short in the chase and lost the series 2-1, Rohit’s innings once again underlined his value in the format.
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Reacting to the growing scrutiny around India’s senior stars, Sadgoppan Ramesh urged the team management to follow England’s approach with Joe Root. The former opener pointed out that England continues to back Root without burdening him with unnecessary questions about his future, allowing the experienced batter to perform with complete freedom.
“It is high time the management let Rohit and Virat play with freedom, considering they are still in the top five of the ODI batting rankings. On the other side, see how England allows Joe Root the utmost freedom. They are trying to maximize his returns by allowing him to play with no pressure. England look at Root as a strength, while India, who should be looking at Rohit and Virat as twice the strength, don’t,” Sadgoppan Ramesh said.
Root justified that faith during the England series, scoring 249 runs across three matches with three consecutive half-centuries to finish as the Player of the Series.
Ramesh also urged the Indian management to shift its attention away from repeatedly questioning the futures of Rohit and Kohli and instead focus on the issues affecting the team’s performances. India endured a disappointing white-ball tour, suffering defeats in the T20I series before losing the ODI series to England. According to Sadgoppan Ramesh, the bigger concerns lie in India’s injury management and overall planning rather than the continued selection of two proven match-winners.
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“The Indian management keeps looking at ways to put pressure on these two the minute they fail in two or three innings. Instead, they should focus on why India lost to Ireland, why players suffer injuries after performing in the IPL, and whether workloads are being managed properly,” he said.
India’s injury concerns were evident throughout the England tour. Hardik Pandya, Harshit Rana and Mohammed Siraj missed the ODI series, while Jasprit Bumrah and Washington Sundar were ruled out of the final match due to injuries. Ramesh believes solving these recurring fitness issues should take priority as India begin preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
