Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are considered as all-time great Indian batsmen. Sanjay Bangar who recently worked with both of them as a batting coach spoke about the much-hyped comparison between Kohli and Rohit.
Several comparisons have made between Kohli and Rohit in the past few years. The two right-handers have taken their batting to another level by performing all over the world. Rohit started his golden run once he became a permanent India opener in the 2013 Champions Trophy. Whereas Kohli never looked back after scoring his maiden Test ton at Adelaide in 2012.
Bangar stated that both Rohit and Kohli should not be compared with each other. The foremost concern of both has always been to win matches for India when it’s their day.
No competition between Kohli and Rohit: Sanjay Bangar
“Both are in quest of excellence. Both the cricketers try to finish the game when it is their day. So I don’t think there is a competition between the two or they are less than one another.”
“Rohit got the chance to open a bit late. He started opening after 2013. He was a middle-order player before that. A batter who plays at 5, 6 or 7; he faces a lot of problems because conditions are different. He doesn’t know the length that he will get and there’s a pressure of losing a wicket”, Bangar told Aakash Chopra on his YouTube channel.
Both Rohit and Kohli are now seasoned campaigners as they have tasted success in every condition. Many think Kohli is far ahead of Rohit as he is a carbon copy in all three formats. The Indian captain is the only batsman to average over 50 in all three forms of the game.
Rohit on the other hand still needs to prove his credentials as a Test match opener. The elegant batsman has scored countless centuries away from home in white-ball cricket. But he still has to score an away Test ton which will give him the tag of a complete batsman. His litmus test will come later this year when he will play as an opener in the 4 match Test series against Australia away from home.
