Rohit Sharma confirmed on Saturday that he will play in Mumbai’s upcoming Ranji Trophy match against Jammu and Kashmir on January 23. The 37-year-old confirmed his availability as he commented on the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) diktat, which makes it mandatory for every centrally contracted player to represent their state teams in domestic cricket.
After India’s 1-3 loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the BCCI held a review meeting with Rohit, chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir. Days later, the board issued a 10-point dossier, including guidelines for domestic cricket, family travel, and much more.
During India’s Champions Trophy squad announcement, Rohit Sharma was asked if he would play for Mumbai against Jammu and Kashmir. To this, he replied, “Yes, I will.”
This will be Rohit Sharma’s first red-ball match for Mumbai in 10 years. Speaking further about BCCI’s diktat about domestic cricket, Rohit said, “If you go back and watch our calendar, there hasn’t been a time where we were sitting at home for 45 days and there is cricket going on. You do get that time when you finish IPL, and if there’s nothing happening right after that.
“But if you see our domestic season, it starts in October, maybe September. And it gets over by March, February-March. And that is the time India plays a lot of cricket as well,” Rohit Sharma said during a press conference on Saturday.
‘You hardly have any time’
Rohit Sharma also talked about the challenges of being an all-format player and how playing domestic cricket was not always plausible in the past.
The right-handed batter has been woefully out of form in Tests. He managed just 31 runs in five innings against Australia. He even “stood down” from the last Test in Sydney and in his place, Jasprit Bumrah led the side.
“So, guys who are not playing certain formats and have time, and then there is domestic cricket happening, then they will play. But the last 6-7 years, I can at least tell about what has happened with me since I have started playing Test cricket regularly, which is from 2019. You hardly have any time,” said Rohit Sharma.
“And then when you play so much international cricket through the year, you need some time off as well as a cricketer just to refresh, get your mind right, just to be ready for the upcoming season,” he added.
Speaking further, Rohit said, “But we have addressed it now, and nobody takes it for granted or anything like that. It is just based on, you know, looking at how one has gone through the season, how much rest he needs. Based on all of that, we decide what is going to happen with certain players. And then, yeah, obviously,y now it’s been made mandatory that if there is time, you have to play domestic cricket.”
On the other hand, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said everyone should look to play domestic cricket when they are available as it will only strengthen the domestic structure.
“I don’t think it’s a diktat. I think everyone should, when available. Sometimes, to be fair to a lot of the players, it’s difficult if you’re playing all three formats. You don’t get as much time, but there’s no doubt. You’ll probably find most guys playing this round of the Ranji Trophy. There’s been a little bit of time.
And those who are available and fit, obviously, you expect people to play,” said Agarkar.
“I don’t think it’s a diktat. It’s one of the things that BCCI has obviously put forward. But as I said, I mean, as selectors, we expect people, when they’re available, to play because that can only strengthen our domestic structure. Not just for their form or their fitness and playing cricket, but it can only strengthen our domestic structure. So, when the time permits, we expect everyone to play,” he added.
