The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will decide whether Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli need to play domestic cricket in order to remain fine-tuned for the rigours of ODI and international cricket.
BCCI’s domestic directive to Rohit-Kohli
After showing rust, Rohit and Kohli ended the India vs Australia ODI series with a bang. They bid Australia adieu with a 168-run stand, and both remained unbeaten, Rohit at 121 and Kohli at 74.
But you can’t ignore that age isn’t on their side. They might have succeeded in Australia despite not playing any competitive cricket since early June, but surely this can’t be the template going forward. India’s ODI captain, Shubman Gill, confirmed that the BCCI, selectors, and management will convene on this matter.
“I think till now there is no talk about this, but I think after the South Africa series, there will be a gap; there will be a gap till the New Zealand series, so I think then we will see how to keep the players in touch, so then I think a decision will be taken,” Gill told reporters in Sydney after the third ODI.
VHT return on the cards?
Rohit and Kohli’s next assignment will be the India vs South Africa ODI series, which will be played from November 30 to December 6 in India. This means the veteran batters won’t play any cricket for over a month.
After that, there will be another similar gap. India’s next ODI assignment will be against New Zealand, starting from January 11. However, there is a way Rohit and Kohli can play more. From December 24, the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT), India’s domestic List A tournament, will commence. While it runs until January 18, the group stage matches will end on January 8.
This means Rohit and Kohli can play 7 List A matches in between the South Africa and New Zealand series, for Mumbai and Delhi, respectively. These many numbers of matches would be enough for them to keep in touch, and the selectors can also gauge where they stand.
Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli’s potential schedule
| Series | Matches | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| India vs South Africa | 3 | November 30 to December 6 |
| Vijay Hazare Trophy | 7 | December 24 to January 8 |
| India vs New Zealand | 3 | January 11 to January 18 |
The post Rohit & Kohli begin 36-day break before IND vs SA ODIs, BCCI to take a call on playing domestic cricket appeared first on Inside Sport India.
