The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has said that a strong message has been sent to its two senior players, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, suggesting them to participate in the coming Vijay Hazare Trophy, if they prefer to continue their ODI cricket career with India. This decision has been made just before the ODI series of India against South Africa, and it has become an important topic of discussion in Indian cricket.
The board wants to make sure that every player, irrespective of his experience or stature, is always match fit and in good form through domestic cricket, according to different reports. The policy is also meant for senior players and is part of the overall plan to make India’s domestic system stronger and more competitive.
Sources from Indian Express say the BCCI selection committee and the National Cricket Academy (NCA) have taken a common decision that henceforth no player will be deemed fit for the national team directly unless he has played in the domestic tournament, except in very rare cases like injuries or being on a workload management program. This has always been the case for younger cricketers but now it is one of the first times that it has been applied so strictly to the likes of Kohli and Rohit as well.
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Rohit Confirms Participation; Kohli Yet to Decide
The Indian Express stated that Rohit Sharma had already informed the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) about his availability in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. This by the way, of the BCCI’s instruction and reflects Rohit’s readiness to act as a torchbearer for other seniors. While there is still no announcement on Virat Kohli’s participation, he might have communicated his decision neither to the BCCI nor to his state.
The board is of the opinion that both players are going to be getting the most out of the tournament by staying in the same rhythm as the team for the rest of the international circuit. and thus would be ready for the main event which includes the ODI World Cup 2027.
Having both Rohit and Kohli participating in the Vijay Hazare Trophy would translate into a tremendous uplift for Indian domestic cricket, providing the fans across the nation with a rare opportunity to watch two modern legends battle it out. Besides that, it would send out a strong message regarding the necessity of domestic cricket as it is the main source of the future Indian line-ups.
With the South Africa series almost including, everyone will be waiting for Kohli’s last decision. At this point, Rohit has shown the right path, and the next move is Virat’s.
Written By:- Manjunath S