BCCI reportedly issues diktat to Kohli and Rohit: Prove form in domestic cricket to play for India

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has asked Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to take part in domestic cricket if they wish to continue playing for India in the ODIs. Both Kohli and Rohit have retired from T20Is and Tests, but are targeting the 2027 ODI World Cup as their swansong in international cricket.

However, the lack of matches for the veteran duo has become a major worry for the BCCI, national team selectors and the fans. The rustiness was quite apparent in the ODI series in Australia in October as Kohli (37) suffered consecutive ducks in the first two matches and Rohit (38) fell cheaply in the first ODI before making 73 and 121 not out in the last two games.

Kohli, Rohit asked by BCCI to play domestic cricket

They ended the series with a match-winning 168-run stand in the third and final ODI in Sydney as Kohli made 74 not out. Now, the BCCI and Team India management have asked both the star batters to keep playing in domestic cricket to remain match-fit, a report in The Indian Express claimed on Wednesday.

“The board and team management have conveyed to both of them that they will have to play domestic cricket if they want to play for India. As they both have retired from two formats, they have to play domestic cricket to be match-fit,” a BCCI source told The Indian Express.

The IE report added that Rohit has informed the  Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) that he is available for the Vijay Hazare Trophy match on 24 December, but there’s no clarity on Kohli’s availability.

The 24 December Vijay Hazare Trophy match is the only one-day game in the domestic cricket between the three-match ODI series between India and South Africa from 3-9 December and the three-match ODI series against New Zealand from 11-18 January.

As per reports, Rohit also wants to play for Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament, which starts on 26 November. And the BCCI wants Kohli to do the same.

The BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar had clarified last month as well that players should take part in domestic cricket when available, as that’s the only way they can stay sharp for international cricket.

“We made it clear a year, or a couple of years back, that whenever players are available, they should be playing domestic cricket. That’s the only way you’ll keep yourself sharp and playing cricket, if you’ve got a long enough break. Whether that’s possible with the international cricket you’re playing or not, only time will tell, but if the guys are free, they should be playing domestic cricket,” Agarkar had said.