"If Player Doesn't Quit On His Own...": Sanjay Manjrekar's Blunt Warning To BCCI, Team India

India have suffered two massive series losses in a matter of three months, being whitewashed 0-3 at home by New Zealand and then losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1 in Australia. In this period, the disastrous form of senior stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have raised several questions. Now, in a critical analysis of Team India's struggles, former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has compared Kohli and Rohit to the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman and India's previous transitional phase from "icon culture". Manjrekar labelled India's slump 'inevitable' and blamed the 'hero-worshipping' in the country.

"This 'generational slump' is inevitable for all teams. It's what we know as the transition phase and among the best teams in the world, I believe it affects India the most," wrote Manjrekar in his column for Hindustan Times.

Manjrekar implied that great players like Kohli and Rohit have ended up dragging the team down once again, much like their predecessors.

"The one foremost reason behind this is the icon culture we have in India and the hero worship of certain players. Be it 2011/12 or now, it's the same scenario that gets played out -- iconic players featuring prominently doing the opposite of what they did their entire careers, thereby dragging the team down with their diminished performances," he added.

"When India lost 0-8 to England and Australia, Tendulkar averaged 35, Sehwag 19.91 and Laxman 21.06. Only Dravid stood out and got runs in England, but in Australia he too was given a harsh reality check," Manjrekar said.

Back in 2011/12, Team India were whitewashed 0-4 in tours of both England and Australia, leading to shake-ups among the established set of Indian players.

Manjrekar stated that selectors