Amid controversy around various BCCI’s rumored guidelines, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has cleared the air on the matter. According to a report by India Today, BCCI has mandated all the players to participate in the domestic cricket. They want the players to share the dressing room with youngsters and also uplift the standard of domestic cricket with their participation. which will help Indian cricket’s growth.
BCCI’s move is also motivated by India’s disastrous performances in the last two Test series. The Indian team sustained a shattering 3-0 clean sweep on their home soil against New Zealand. The hosts dig their own hole by preparing rank turners, which New Zealand spinners utilized quite well. The fans and the cricket fraternity were shocked to see the Indian batters failing in spin-friendly conditions, in which they have been playing since the start of their careers.
Thereafter, the Rohit Sharma-led side started off the BGT with a dominating victory over Australia in Perth. However, the lackluster batting performance resulted in the visitors losing the series 1-3.
Certainly, the batting unit failed to apply themselves better in the spin as well as pace-friendly conditions, which has seen them being criticized from all corners of the cricketing world. In order to improve in this area, BCCI wants players to engage themselves in domestic cricket more often in their off-season.
Notably, Rohit has been struggling to score runs in the red-ball cricket. He ended with 91 runs in six innings against New Zealand, and could accumulate only 31 runs in five innings of the BGT. ‘Hitman’ last featured in the Ranji Trophy in the 2015-16 season, where he scored a century.
According to the 37-year-old, he hasn’t gotten much time since then to play domestic cricket due to a packed international calendar.
“Last 6-7 years if you go back and watch our calendar, there hasn’t been a time where I’m sitting at home for days and there is cricket going on. You do get that time when you finish IPL and there’s nothing happening right after that, but if you see our domestic season, it starts in September and it gets over by February, March, and that is the time India plays a lot of cricket as well,” Rohit Sharma said in the press conference.
“So guys who are not playing certain formats and have time and then there is domestic cricket happening, then they will play, but the last 6-7 years, I can at least tell about what has happened with me since I’ve started playing Test cricket regularly, which is from 2019. You hardly have any time. And then when you play so much cricket, international cricket through the year, you need some time off as well as a cricketer just to refresh, get your mind right, just to be ready for the upcoming season,” Rohit added.
Rohit Sharma further added that none of the Indian players take their places for granted. He feels the workload management is crucial before deciding whether to allow certain players to play the domestic cricket.
“We’ve addressed it now, and nobody, nobody takes it for granted. It is just based on looking at how one has gone through the season, how much rest he needs, based on all of that we decide what is going to happen with certain players. And then obviously now it’s been made mandatory that if there is time, you have to play domestic cricket.”
Rohit Sharma to play for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy
Rohit Sharma is all set to make his Ranji Trophy return after nine years. He will represent Mumbai in their next game against Jammu & Kashmir at the BKC Ground, scheduled to take place from January 23 to 26.
“I will,” Rohit said at the press conference for the Champions Trophy squad announcement.
After the participation in this game, Rohit Sharma might join the Indian team camp ahead of the three-match ODI series against England, starting on February 6. The ODI series will serve as a preparatory series for the Men in Blue for the Champions Trophy, which will be held in Pakistan and the UAE from February 19 to March 9.
