“Their Contributions were Limited”: India Cope Without Kohli and Rohit, Says Former India Cricketer

Shubman Gill has emerged as one of India’s biggest positives on their tour of England, delivering strong performances in both the win at Birmingham and the hard-fought draw in Manchester.

Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar praised Gill for his temperament and consistency, calling him the standout batter in a team that has shown resilience despite missing several senior names.

“Gill in a League of His Own”

“If you were to remove someone like Joe Root from the team or lose two experienced players, like India has recently seen with retirements, it would change the situation drastically,” Manjrekar said.

“India has done remarkably well; they’ve kept the series alive. It’s quite interesting to observe the mood on the buses on the England bus heading to London compared to the Indian bus. As we see Shubman Gill, in a league of his own, he certainly has the potential to top the leaderboard, and I wouldn’t bet against that,” he added.

With one Test left to play, Gill looks set to finish as one of the series’ top scorers, showing maturity and calm in crucial moments.

No Big Loss in Performance Terms

India has played the entire series without Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin — either due to injury or retirement. While their experience is hard to replace, Manjrekar believes their recent on-field impact had already been limited.

“Rohit Sharma had an average of 10 in the last two series, and Virat Kohli was averaging 30 over the past five years. While replacing them wasn’t easy, it wasn’t a massive loss. They were senior players, but their contributions were limited,” he pointed out.

Manjrekar’s comments highlight a new phase for Indian Test cricket — one where young players like Gill are stepping up to carry the team forward.