Sanjay Bangar Says Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli Uplifted Confidence Across Team India
Bangar praises Rohit and Kohli for lifting India after Test loss and leading the team to an ODI series win over South Africa.
India’s ODI series win over South Africa came at the right time for a side recovering from a tough Test series. Former India coach Sanjay Bangar praised Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for bringing calm, confidence and quality back into the camp.
He said the two senior batters changed the mood around the team with both their performances and presence.
Bangar felt there should never have been any debate about their place in the side.
He said, “I don’t think the place of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the team should have been a question. Look at what they have done over so many years.”
He added that since both have retired from two formats, they need fewer games to find rhythm. As long as they stay hungry and fit, India will always want them.
Rohit and Kohli backed those words with runs. Rohit struck key fifties in Ranchi and Visakhapatnam that set up India’s top order. Kohli hit back to back hundreds and then finished the series with an unbeaten 65 in the final game.
Bangar said senior players must be handled with care.
“You have to treat them differently and give them space. When they are on song, you see the difference,” he said on JioStar Cricket Live.
He felt their presence inside the dressing room helped the team move on from the heavy Test-series defeat. He said they likely spoke to the younger players and helped them play with freedom and authority. That shift, he felt, gave India “supreme confidence” through the ODI leg.
India will now face New Zealand in a three match ODI series in Vadodara, Rajkot and Indore. Rohit and Kohli are expected to feature again and could also play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy later in the season.
