After the India cricket team’s poor performance in Test cricket, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to mandate playing in domestic cricket. Several centrally contracted players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Mohammed Siraj were all playing for their respective states in the Ranji Trophy.
The rule was brought in after players like Kohli and Rohit had skipped the Duleep Trophy last year. This resulted in Team India losing a home Test series after 12 years and failing to hold the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade. Both stars’ personal performances were so poor that had it been someone else, they would have been dropped.
Vengsarkar against BCCI’s domestic mandate
Former BCCI Chief Selector, Dilip Vengsarkar, feels that making the Ranji Trophy doesn’t make sense. He instead insisted that players should be told to be in the Irani Cup (one match) and the Duleep Trophy (3 to 4 matches). Mind you, Vengsarkar won the 1983 World Cup and was the one who selected Virat Kohli for Team India.
“In my opinion, the players should not be forced to play in the Ranji Trophy. It should come from within. Yes, it is very important to play first-class cricket. If you are not in form, you should always go back and play first-class cricket and get your mojo back,” Vengsarkar told RevSportz.
“I once again reiterate that everyone should participate in the Irani Cup and Duleep Trophy, and the board should make it mandatory for star players to play domestic cricket whenever they are available. It is important that all the players participate in the Irani Cup and Duleep Trophy. The selectors can assess the strength and weakness of the players as to who can be inducted in the senior team. They can be groomed properly so that they are ready for the next level,” he added.
Editor's Pick
Cricket
Was Shubman Gill denied 'one last chance' for T20 World Cup 2026 by Gambhir & Suryakumar?
Top Stories
