Will Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma make a comeback in the Ranji Trophy?
This question was posed to head coach Gautam Gambhir. He remarked, 'It's up to them.' Gambhir conveyed that players actively engaged in Test cricket should seriously consider participating in domestic matches, such as the Ranji Trophy, especially if not committed elsewhere. Clearly, Coach Gambhir hinted at the necessity for Kohli and Rohit to commit to domestic, particularly red-ball, cricket, which many of India's top cricket stars have neglected for an extended period.
Virat Kohli last played domestic red-ball cricket in 2012, and Rohit Sharma in 2015. Kohli participated in a match against Uttar Pradesh in Ghaziabad, scoring 14 and 43 runs in the innings. Meanwhile, Rohit played a magnificent innings of 113 runs against the same team in his last first-class match at the Wankhede Stadium.
In the past four years, players like Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, and KL Rahul collectively partook in only a handful of long-format domestic games. This challenging trend is reflected in India's international performance as the lack of red-ball domestic play impacts results.
Source: aajtak
Rohit Sharma’s India surrendered the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia for the first time in a decade last Sunday. Previously, India faced a 0-3 defeat by New Zealand at home, causing them to miss out on the World Test Championship finals.
In the BGT, Kohli scored 190 runs at an average of 23.75 over 5 tests. In contrast, Rohit Sharma struggled, tallying merely 31 runs at an average of 6.20 across 3 matches. Eminent cricketers have already advised Sharma and Kohli to gear up for domestic cricket.
Sunil Gavaskar advocates decisive action
Sunil Gavaskar expressed concern over the reluctance of India’s star players to embrace domestic Test engagements. He emphasized that regular players should represent their states in the sport’s longest format. 'The next Ranji Trophy round is on January 23, let's see how many from this team will show up. If they don’t play, hard decisions must be made by Gautam Gambhir,' he asserted.
Jay Shah's Stern Warning Hurts Shreyas and Ishan
Last August, Jay Shah, then BCCI Secretary, cautioned India’s players against prioritizing the T20 Indian Premier League over domestic cricket, warning of 'severe consequences'. His message emphasized that domestic cricket forms the foundation of Indian cricket, and jeopardizing it could lead to contract losses, as happened with Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan.
Irfan Pathan cites Tendulkar’s Example
Former Indian player Irfan Pathan called for a 'cultural change' in a Star Sports interview, referencing Sachin Tendulkar's commitment to the Ranji Trophy, even when unnecessary, for additional time on the pitch.
Team's Flaws Unveiled Amidst BGT Defeat
The 3-1 loss to Australia in the BGT starkly highlighted Indian team vulnerabilities in 'red-ball' cricket. Poor shot selection frequently led to Rishabh Pant’s dismissals through risky strokes. Kohli couldn’t handle deliveries outside the off-stump, while bowlers hesitated to sustain long spells. Siraj lost rhythm, and Harshit Rana struggled for pace. Overall, the team's approach showed a clear gap in embracing Test mentality. Meanwhile, Gill aggressively ventured outside the crease for attempts, and Sharma indulged in stroke plays at innings' start.
