Ranji calling: India stars in game

All eyes will be on the penultimate round of group games as big names return to domestic cricket amidst new BCCI guidelines
India captain Rohit Sharma will play for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy clash against J&K on Thursday
India captain Rohit Sharma will play for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy clash against J&K on ThursdayPTI
Updated on
4 min read

CHENNAI: When Rohit Sharma takes the field for Mumbai on Thursday during the penultimate group stage Ranji Trophy clash against Jammu & Kashmir at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy, Mumbai, he would have achieved an unique feat. Still India's captain in the longest format, Rohit will be the first national skipper to play a Ranji game since Anil Kumble in late 2007.

Since Kumble, there have been three full-time Test captains - MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit - and several stand-in ones but it has taken a little over 17 years for another captain to play Ranji. Rohit will not be the only star India player in action, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, and Yashasvi Jaiswal also will play for their respective teams. Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj are expected to play the last round of matches.

The topic of star India players not playing domestic cricket has surfaced time and again in the past decade. However, following the clean sweep against New Zealand at home and a 1-3 loss in Australia, the BCCI made a ten-point guidelines for the players, which included an IPL ban and non-selection should they not take part in domestic cricket.

Former chief selector Sunil Joshi felt the Ranji Trophy is getting the attention it deserves. “Finally, Ranji Trophy is getting its respect. Players come and go, Ranji will never go,” Joshi told TNIE. “Because players who want to play Ranji and there are players who have a dream of playing for India. They have to go through the domestic grind. And the same players, after representing the country, if they are out of form, they don't have anything else other than coming back to Ranji and performing. Again, it's my personal view. Players should respect Ranji Trophy. Whenever they get an opportunity to play, they should play,” he added.

Meanwhile, Joshi said that irrespective of whether it is a mandate or not the onus is on the players to play Ranji. “They have implemented now or are going to implement, which is fine. But it should not be their hard-earned rule, right? Players should take the onus to go and play Ranji. If they are in the middle of the other series, it is fine. If they are injured, I understand. If they are not doing anything, if they are available, they should be playing. It is a great thing for the players and the state associations also. When the state association would back you when you are going to play Ranji, it is the same way when a state association needs, the players should be available to play,” said the Uttar Pradesh head coach.

It is not just about the star players. The good thing of having them play in the domestic circuit is that they can inspire and motivate younger players. “They will always inspire the next generation of youth. When the big players playing Ranji, they inspire not only the home team, they inspire the opposition team also. This in turn helps to improve the competition level. If someone is bowling to Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli, he will up his game three or five times more because he is bowling to the best batters in the world. So, it is a win-win situation for both sides.

"Even the player who is not playing in the XI, who is sitting in the dugout, by watching these star players, they will be inspired by this. Because all four days, the way they bat, the way they do the warm-up, the way they behave on the ground. There is so much to learn from these stars,” explained Joshi who is the assistant coach of Punjab Kings in the IPL.

When the question of workload came up, the former left-arm spinner said, "It is very simple. Are you going to play all three formats of the game? One. If not, then you better be available for one format of the game which you are going to play. That's how it should be. Players should take ownership." Joshi referred to past examples of Kumble, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and himself turning to Ranji even in between series to get runs and wickets before Test matches.

"That gave an opportunity to get into form before the Test series. We never thought of getting injured. We thought of performing. I can share my own example because in 1999, we drew the Test match against New Zealand in Mohali. After that, I came back and we had a four-day game — Ranji champions Karnataka versus New Zealand — in Bangalore. We won that four-day game and after that, we had a Test in Kanpur. I ensured that I got into form.

"That performance really mattered to me because getting into form, bowling to them, getting wickets it's just that you are in a positive mood and a better side of the Test match. Form is always very good to have on your shoulder before any game. To get into form and show the selectors that, boss, I may be out of form but I am back in form. So, again, ownership is on the players. Take that responsibility and do it," Joshi said.

Although only time will tell how things go in the next season, for now, amidst the T20I series against England, all the attention will be on the India stars in the coming rounds of Ranji Trophy.

Key fixtures: Tamil Nadu vs Chanddigarh, Mumbai vs J&K, Punjab vs Karnataka, Hyderabad vs HP, Andhra vs Pondicherry, Delhi vs Saurashtra, Kerala vs MP, Odisha vs Services

Star players set to be in action: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Devdutt Padikkal, Prasidh Krishna

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