Will Rohit Sharma Confirm His Availability? Insights into the MCA Notification and Ranji Trophy Participation
CricketPanditAfter Rohit Sharma, it’s now Yashasvi Jaiswal’s moment to shine in domestic cricket. The young Indian opener, who stood out as one of the few positives in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, has been asked to join the state team. Jaiswal will begin training with the Mumbai squad at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) on Wednesday.
This move aligns with the much-discussed directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) urging Indian players to engage in domestic matches. Mumbai’s next Ranji Trophy game is set to take place at home starting January 23, against Jammu and Kashmir. On Tuesday morning, Rohit participated in a practice session with Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium.
During the BGT, Jaiswal accumulated 391 runs across 10 innings. Given the demanding schedule he faced in Australia, he has been rested for the five-match Twenty20 series against England. Under these circumstances, it seems unusual to ask him to take part in a domestic match. It remains unclear if he will play in the Ranji Trophy match from January 23-26, but for now, he will train with the Mumbai team. The final squad will be announced on January 20.
The general consensus is that all centrally contracted players not selected for the T20I squad (for the five-match series against England starting January 22) have been directed to participate in domestic matches. This is in line with head coach Gautam Gambhir’s recent comments after the BGT series in Sydney, where he emphasized the importance of domestic cricket, stating, “I would always like everyone to play domestic cricket. That is how much importance domestic cricket needs to be given.”
Rohit spent around two hours at the Mumbai nets on Tuesday, but it appears he is still undecided about participating in the upcoming Ranji Trophy match due to some uncertainty. With the shift to white-ball cricket for the Champions Trophy approaching, the India captain seems hesitant about playing in the competitive red-ball Ranji game. Rohit is expected to notify the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) about his availability within a day or two.
In a broader context, it has come to light that several Indian players not included in the T20I squad are anticipated to take part in the Ranji Trophy matches starting January 23, or at least in the following round beginning January 30. Sources from the Punjab Cricket Association indicate that Shubman Gill is likely to play in Punjab’s match against Karnataka in Bengaluru.
However, the significant question remains: will Virat Kohli play for Delhi? If he does, it would be his first Ranji appearance in 12 years. Delhi’s upcoming Ranji match is against Saurashtra in Rajkot. Meanwhile, there is still no information regarding Rishabh Pant’s availability, and KL Rahul seems unlikely to play in Karnataka’s next match.
