IND vs BAN: BCCI’s Big Decision After Batting Failure Against Bangladesh, Players Given Special Task

Duleep Trophy 2024: Indian captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been given the option to choose if they want to participate.

IND vs BAN Test Series: Before the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, the BCCI has instructed top players of the national team, including KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shreyas Iyer, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, to take part in the Duleep Trophy, either fully or partially. To prioritize domestic cricket and ensure all players participate, the BCCI is taking strong steps. According to a report by Cricbuzz, India’s captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have the option to decide whether they want to participate in this tournament or not. Hardik Pandya is the only top international player who will be absent because he has stepped away from red-ball cricket.

However, despite being continuously overlooked for international assignments, it is likely that Ishan Kishan will be included in one of the four teams. The report also mentions that Jasprit Bumrah will be given a break, and Mohammad Shami, who is still recovering from surgery, may not participate either. This decision was collectively made by the BCCI and selectors, with input from new coach Gautam Gambhir. Regarding the exemption given to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, a source stated that both star players have been overworked.

A source in the report stated, “It is up to them whether they want to play or not.” Rohit last played a domestic match in 2021, while Kohli hasn’t played a national-level match since 2015. Including international players in domestic competitions aligns with BCCI’s efforts to address the issue of players not participating in domestic matches. Last year, under this policy, the board excluded Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan from the central contract.

The four-team Duleep Trophy, a multi-day first-class competition, will be held from September 5 to September 22. There will be no knockout matches in this competition. The Karnataka State Cricket Association has confirmed that Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium will host the first of the six four-day red-ball matches, starting on September 5. Although Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh was initially designated as the venue for the multi-day tournament, this specific tournament has been shifted to Bengaluru.