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New Delhi: Indian stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been urged to play domestic white-ball cricket to remain in contention for the 2027 World Cup. According to a report in PTI, Rohit and Kohli are expected to play in at least three, if not four, Vijay Hazare Trophy games before the New Zealand ODI series in January.
At least six rounds of Vijay Hazare Trophy games for Delhi and Mumbai are sandwiched between the South Africa and New Zealand ODI series. After picking the ageing duo in the squad for the ODI leg of the Australia tour, national selectors expect that Rohit and Kohli will play in the domestic 50-over event.
Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, while announcing the squads for the Australia tour, made it clear that every centrally contracted player, who is fit and available, is expected to play domestic cricket.
"Between last ODI against South Africa on December 6 at Visakhapatnam and the first ODI against New Zealand at Vadodara on January 11, there is a gap of five weeks.
"The Vijay Hazare Trophy starts on December 24. There will be six rounds of games for Mumbai (December 24, 26, 29, 31, Jan 3, 6, 8). Rohit will be expected to at least play three rounds before linking up with the squad. Ditto for Virat," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Earlier, former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had urged Rohit and Kohli to play a bit of domestic cricket to get into the rhythm. He also suggested that the veteran players could have actually played the India A series.
"If you need their services, you have to find a way. For example, the India ‘A’ series happened, so you need to ask them to play that series because there is not much 50-over cricket. They should have said that if you don’t play the series, I don’t think you fit in the plan.
"If not this series, then they have to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy, because that will let us know the kind of form you are in," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
The ODI leg of the Australia series will mark the beginning of the new era under the leadership of Shubman Gill, who replaced Rohit Sharma as the new skipper in the 50-over format.
(With PTI Inputs)
