Demand for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to play Ranji Trophy grows after poor Australia tour

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli aren’t just modern-day greats and the faces of the current Indian cricket team. Kohli is among the greatest to have played the sport, and makes a solid case for one of the greatest batters of all time across formats. The ‘Hitman’ on the other hand, has earned the right to be included among the greatest white-ball batters of all time. And both have been immensely successful as captains.

Their days as Test cricketers, however, appear numbered after a horror run in the Tests that India have played since September, including in the recently-concluded five-match series in Australia. Kohli and Rohit were the top-two run-scorers in the ICC World Cup at home in late 2023 and the latter was the second-highest run-scorer in the victorious T20 World Cup campaign last year.

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However, in the 10 Tests that India have played since September – two against Bangladesh, three against New Zealand and five against Australia – Kohli and Rohit have averaged just 22.47 and 10.93 respectively. Kohli has crossed the fifty-mark twice – one of which was his unbeaten 100 in the first Test against Australia in Perth. In Rohit’s case, it’s just once.

More importantly, neither was able to rescue the team from a shaky situation during the Australia Test series, which India lost 1-3 to surrender the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade.

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With the two legends struggling in this manner, many believe the two have played their last Test in Australia. In Rohit’s case, some even believe he’s made his final appearance in whites in Melbourne, having opted out of the final Test in Sydney.

Then again, there are those who are calling for Rohit and Kohli to go back to domestic cricket and flaw out their weaknesses in the Ranji Trophy in order to erase doubts over their place in the Test side.

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Though he did not specifically name Rohit and Kohli in this context, India head coach Gautam Gambhir urged current members of the Test side as well as fringe players to take domestic cricket more seriously if they wanted to succeed in this format.

“I would always like everyone to play domestic cricket. That is how much importance domestic cricket needs to be given. Not only one game. If they’re available and they have the commitment to play red-ball cricket, everyone should play domestic cricket. As simple as it can get.

“If you don’t give importance to domestic cricket, you will never get the desired players what you want in Test cricket," Gambhir told reporters in Sydney on Sunday following India’s six-wicket defeat in the final Test.

Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar too hinted at Rohit and Kohli while stating that “there should be no excuse” for India’s Test players to not feature in the Ranji Trophy when the country’s premier domestic First-Class event resumes on 23 January.

“On January 23, there is the next round of the Ranji Trophy. Let’s see how many players from this squad play. There should be no excuse for not being able to play,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.

Gavaskar added that India’s focus when it comes to the red-ball format should be on opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and batting all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who were among the standout performers in Australia.

“They are hungry to earn a name for India and themselves. Such players are needed. You need such players who will protect their wicket like their life.

“That’s why I’m interested that on January 23, in the Ranji Trophy matches, who will play? I want to see that.

“Because at that time, there will be T20 matches against England. But those who are not playing T20, will they play Ranji Trophy matches or not?” Gavaskar added.

Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan too did not hold back while slamming Kohli for not taking domestic cricket more seriously.

“When was the last time Virat Kohli played domestic cricket? (the host points out that Kohli’s last first-class appearance for Delhi was in 2012) It has been more than a decade. Even Sachin Tendulkar has played domestic cricket more recently, and he has retired,” Pathan said on Star Sports.

Cricket fans too joined in on the debate on social networking platform X. Here are select reactions:

While Rohit had last played domestic cricket in 2016, representing India Blue in the Duleep Trophy, Kohli’s last domestic appearance was for Delhi against Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy in 2012.

The legendary Sachin Tendulkar, on the other hand, played the Ranji Trophy in 2013 – his final year as a professional cricketer.