Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) has written to the Indian team management regarding the release of Delhi captain Ishant Sharma if he is not included in the playing XI for the first Test match against Sri Lanka, which will be played at the Eden Gardens.

“A note has been sent to the Indian team management to release Ishant if he is not in the playing XI for the first Test in Kolkata,” a source told PTI.

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Mitchell Marsh, Ravindra Jadeja, Challenging Spell, India, Subcontinent, JLT Sheffield Shield, Western Australia, — Marsh looking forward to improving as an all-rounder. Photo Credit: Getty Images.

Ishant is a member of the Indian team and will soon leave Delhi’s camp to join the national team. At the moment, it is confirmed that Ishant will miss Delhi’s next encounter against Karnataka in Alur. Delhi is hoping to get back their captain’s services when the first Test match is in operation if he is not the part of playing XI.

The first Test starts on November 16 while the sixth round of Ranji Trophy starts on November 17. So Ishant can join the team if BCCI allows.

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Rohit Sharma | Indian cricket team | — Rohit, who has featured in 21 Test, as he was seen sweating it out in Lanka and further went on to score 38 against Sri Lanka President XI in Colombo, before the start of the ongoing three-match Test series. Photo Credit: Getty Images.

In recent times, there has been no case of BCCI releasing a player for state duty, but in the year 2015, the board released the benched players for Ranji Trophy. Rohit Sharma, Stuart Binny, Bhuvneshwar Kumar were few of them. It would be interesting to see the next step taken by the board as Ishant’s inclusion in the squad for the first Test looks bleak, due to form of Bhuvneshwar Kumar as he will acquire the seat of the third pacer. Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami are the two front-line pacers.

If BCCI releases Ishant, then more associations can put a demand forward. Players like Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan or Murali Vijay (whoever does not play the Test), Kuldeep Yadav could also turn out to their states.

Ravindra Jadeja, Naina Jadeja, Feels, India Vs New Zealand, Rajkot, Ranji Trophy 2017-18, Saurashtra, T20I — Jadeja so far played 32 Tests in which he bagged 155 wickets at an average of 23.60.

Meanwhile, many state associations have released players who are part of Test squad. Players like Mohammed Shami, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Murali Vijay played Ranji Trophy for their respective states in the first phase of the league stage.

The Indian players who are not a part of the Test squad will be joining their state teams to play Ranji Trophy right in the fifth round.

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