Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are unlikely to face last year’s BCCI mandate for players not on national duty. Shreyas Iyer, who was dropped midway through the home Test series in January 2023, and Ishan Kishan, who had taken a break due to mental health, skipped the Ranji Trophy. Their actions angered the BCCI and also led to the removal of their names from the central contract list. This sparked a lot of debate and many spoke about the need for national participation in cricket.
Will Kohli-Rohit have the same fat as Shreyas-Kishan?
Reportedly, this time the case will not be similar for Kohli and Rohit. Despite expert opinions coming from former cricketers like Irfan Pathan and Sunil Gavaskar and discussions within the BCCI on prioritizing domestic cricket, a Hindustan Times report suggests otherwise.
Monday’s report said: “However, in Kohli’s case, there is a strong view within the board that if he feels like continuing to play, he should bat grandly like before and that may require going back to basics.” “. A board official insisted that the decision to prioritize domestic cricket in the wake of India’s poor performance in Australia was not a “dictate”.
Is participation in domestic cricket no longer a ‘dictum’?
“If players do not play the Ranji Trophy without valid medical or fitness reasons, this will influence their future Indian selection,” the report added. Meanwhile, a BCCI official commented, “There is nothing better than spending time at the crease to regain confidence. It is up to the player, irrespective of his experience, to realize this,” said a BCCI official.
However, this was not the case even a few months ago. Kohli and Rohit were rumored to feature in the Duleep Trophy in September as they had not been in action since the T20 World Cup win. But they skipped the tournament. But Kohli’s struggle again continued. India’s horrendous campaign against New Zealand at home started a round of controversies that also included Gambhir’s coaching style.
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