Jay Shah, Secretary of the BCCI, has highlighted the need to treat senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma with respect by not inviting them to participate in domestic tournaments such as the Duleep Trophy.
On August 14, 2024, the BCCI revealed the four-team squads for the first round of the Duleep Trophy 2024-25 tournament.
The Duleep Trophy begins on September 5 at Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, and Bengaluru. As expected, regular Indian cricketers KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Shreyas Iyer, and others have been named to the squads for the forthcoming domestic tournament.
However, prominent Indian cricketers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were not included in the Duleep Trophy squads. This raised a few eyebrows amongst cricketing circles and some even pointed out the bias in BCCI’s diktat of all centrally contracted players needing to play domestic cricket.
Jay Shah highlighted that Kohli and Rohit have contributed significantly to Indian cricket and should be treated with the respect they deserve.
They will risk injury: Jay Shah on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s absence from in Duleep Trophy 2024-25
In an interaction with Times of India, BCCI secretary Jay Shah talked about the absence of senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli not playing in the Duleep Trophy tournament. He highlighted the need to treat senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma with respect by not inviting them to participate in domestic tournaments such as the Duleep Trophy.
According to BCCI secretary Shah, the selectors did not want to risk injuring experienced hitters Rohit and Kohli, who are critical to India’s chances in the upcoming extended test season. Shah went on to give the example of Australia and England, where no international player plays domestic cricket.
“Apart from them (Rohit and Kohli), everyone else is playing. You should appreciate that. One must note than Ishan Kishan and Sheryas Iyer are playing in the Buchi Babu Tournament. We should not insist on players like Rohit And Virat to play in the Duleep Trophy. They will risk injury. If you’ve noticed, in Australia and England, every international player doesn’t play domestic cricket. We have to treat the players with respect,” said Shah to Times of India.
Shah stated that Kohli and Rohit have made major contributions to Indian cricket and should be treated with the respect they deserve. By regulating their workload, the BCCI hopes to keep these players fit and available for international matches.
Jay Shah’s comments highlight the BCCI’s strategy for managing veteran players, which prioritizes long-term contributions over immediate involvement in domestic tourneys.