BCCI tells stars to play Ranji before the white-ball season

The selectors wanted Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to play Duleep Trophy last year too, but they excused themselves

- Rasesh Mandani

The utility of playing domestic cricket and balancing workload management, of match practice over match simulation sessions has been a vexed debate in modern day cricket. Indian cricket is grappling with the issue currently with leading players, not part of the upcoming five T20I matches against England, advised to play the next round of Ranji Trophy matches starting on January 23. The move steered by the selection committee is directed at the leading batters who were seen battling form and lacking confidence in the Test series in Australia with technical deficiencies having creeped in.

If the plan directed at all contracted players other than fast bowlers is implemented, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant would turn up for Delhi against Saurashtra starring Ravindra Jadeja in Rajkot, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal for Mumbai against Jammu & Kashmir in Mumbai and KL Rahul for Karnataka against Punjab where Shubman Gill would pad up in Bengaluru.

"If they are available and have the commitment to play red-ball cricket, everyone should play domestic cricket," India head coach Gautam Gambhir said after the Sydney Test loss.