BCCI Instructs Rohit And Kohli To Appear In List A Games To Retain Place In ODI Team

 

Hyderabad: In a recent development, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have instructed the star Indian duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to go through the domestic grind to retain their place in the Indian national team. Both of them have retired from Test and T20Is but continue to play ODIs and were part of the Indian team that toured Australia recently.

 

According to a report by the Indian Express, Rohit and Kohli might play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy match due to the instructions handed out to both players by the BCCI. The match, which is to be held on December 24, is the only one-day game on the domestic calendar between the three-match ODI series against South Africa in December and against New Zealand in January.

 

The report further added that Rohit has informed the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) that he will be available to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. However, there’s no clear idea about Kohli’s availability.

Kohli (37) and Rohit (38) were part of the Indian team touring Australia recently for the ODI series, and formed a decisive partnership in the final match of the series.

 

“The board and team management have conveyed to both of them that they will have to play domestic cricket if they want to play for India. As they both have retired from two formats, they have to play domestic cricket to be match-fit,” sources in the board told, quoted by the Indian Express.

Rohit and Kohli retired from T20Is after the 2024 World Cup, and called time on their Test careers after the 2024-25 tour of Australia.

Last month chairman of the selection committee, Ajit Agarkar, had emphasised the need for Indian players to participate in domestic cricket.

 

“We made it clear a year or a couple of years back that whenever players are available, they should be playing domestic cricket. That’s the only way you’ll keep yourself sharp and playing cricket, if you’ve got a long enough break. Whether that’s possible with the international cricket you’re playing or not, only time will tell, but if the guys are free, they should be playing domestic cricket,” he had said.