'Go back and...': Ravi Shastri’s blunt advice to under-fire Indian greats Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma

With their remarkable run totals and innumerable game-winning performances, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been indispensable to Indian cricket. Both have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills in addition to their batting brilliance, leading Team India to numerous noteworthy triumphs over the years.

Both Rohit and Kohli, regarded as two of the greatest of the contemporary era have recently struggled with their batting especially in Test matches.

The two veteran players struggled during the five-match series against Australia after a dismal clean sweep of New Zealand at home, and they were major contributors to the team's 1-3 loss in Australia. Many supporters are pushing for them to retire and make room for new talent as a result of their bad performance.

“If there's a gap for them [Kohli and Rohit], I think they should go back and play some domestic cricket and see how it is,” Shastri said in the latest episode of the ICC Review.

Shastri claimed that playing domestic cricket will tremendously benefit the two greater batters by keeping them up to date on the current generation's talents and allowing them to stay ahead of the competition.

“When you play Test match cricket for that length of time, it's important to play domestic cricket for two reasons: You're abreast with the current generation (and) you can contribute to that younger generation with your experience,” Shastri added.

The image of Indians being superior spin bowlers appears to be diminishing. Prior to their tour of Australia, where they faced fast bowlers, Kohli and Rohit struggled against New Zealand spinners at home.

Shastri believes that playing domestic cricket will help these two hitters overcome the substantial weakness that has grown in their game in recent years.

“More importantly, you get to play spin more than you will ever play. So if you see India as recorded, India on turning tracks is not the greatest. If you have quality spinners in the opposition, they can trouble you. And they have troubled India," Shastri concluded.

Kohli and Rohit will take a long rest before the three-match ODI series against England, which begins on February 6.

In addition to Shastri, several other former cricketers, including legendary Sunil Gavaskar, have urged the two players to play domestic matches to help them regain their form.

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