Former cricketer Madan Lal on Tuesday said that he is feeling “very happy” to see Indian men’s cricketers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli taking part in the second part of the Ranji Trophy. India captain Rohit Sharma will take part in the upcoming second phase of the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai. Kohli has also confirmed his availability for Delhi’s Ranji Trophy match against Railways, according to sources in Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). Virat’s last appearance in the Ranji Trophy dates back to November 2012 against Uttar Pradesh, in which he was dismissed for 14 and 42 runs in both innings by pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Speaking to ANI, Madan Lal said that senior players like Rohit and Virat’s presence in the first-class cricket will help other cricketers to grow.
“I’m so happy that all these players (Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli) are going to play first class. You need to play matches in the tournament which has made you the player. You should play domestic matches whenever you get a chance, because, the young players can learn from you. Maybe someday in the future, these players will become great players…,” Madan Lal told ANI.
He added that If Kohli and Rishabh Pant play for Delhi, then it will help them to qualify for the knockouts in first-class cricket.
“The morale of the team also increases a lot when players like Kohli and Rohit play. If a team is struggling to qualify like Delhi. If Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant play, then they have a chance of winning. So this was a very important step…this rule was there before as well. But they used to avoid it. We never avoided first-class matches,” he added.
Rohit’s return to first-class cricket coincides with mounting discussions about his future in Test cricket. At 37, he remains determined to continue in the longest format, despite stepping aside for India’s XI in the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney earlier this month.
Rohit’s recent performances in red-ball cricket have raised questions. During the Australia tour, he managed only 31 runs in five innings across three Tests. This followed a lean patch at home in the 2023-24 season, where he averaged just 13.30 in ten innings against Bangladesh and New Zealand. Under his leadership, India suffered 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand — their first-ever at home in a series of three or more matches.
Things started to change after India received a 3-1 bashing at the hands of Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has taken a much harder stance regarding the participation of Indian international stars in domestic cricket.
Earlier on Thursday, BCCI released new policies for Team India, making it “mandatory” to participate in domestic matches to remain “eligible” for selection in the national team and for the central contracts.
In the policy, BCCI stated that taking part in domestic cricket will remain connected to the cricket ecosystem. The statement added that any exceptions to taking part in domestic cricket will be considered only under extraordinary circumstances.
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