In the midst of ongoing discussions about prioritizing domestic cricket, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has clarified that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will not face the same consequences as Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan over their non-participation in the Ranji Trophy.
The debate on domestic cricket came to the forefront after former cricketers Irfan Pathan and Sunil Gavaskar, along with head coach Gautam Gambhir, voiced their concerns regarding players’ commitment to domestic tournaments. This prompted BCCI officials to meet in Mumbai, where the matter was discussed ahead of the second half of the 2024/25 Ranji Trophy, starting on January 23.
While the BCCI had previously mandated that players not on national duty should participate in domestic cricket, Iyer and Kishan faced consequences for not joining the Ranji Trophy in the past. Despite this, the BCCI seems to be taking a different approach with Kohli and Rohit. The report from Hindustan Times suggests that while the board would like Kohli to return to his best form and start playing with confidence, they are not imposing a strict mandate for him or Rohit to feature in the upcoming Ranji season.
A BCCI official, discussing the matter, emphasized that the move to prioritize domestic cricket after India’s poor batting performances in the recent Australia tour was not a “diktat,” but warned that failing to participate in the Ranji Trophy without valid reasons could impact their future selection for India.
While there were initial hopes that both Kohli and Rohit would play in the Duleep Trophy in September, both players opted out. Although they were not part of the series since the T20 World Cup, neither player joined the domestic tournament, which was designed to help players gear up for a long red-ball season.
The BCCI official reiterated that there is no substitute for spending time at the crease to regain confidence, regardless of experience. The priority, it seems, is ensuring players’ readiness and confidence for international duties.
