BCCI mandated all contracted Indian players to play in Vijay Hazare Trophy
Virat and Rohit have already given their nod to play in the domestic tournament
Shreyas Iyer will not feature in the Vijay Hazare Trophy as he is still recovering
In a significant move, BCCI has mandated all the players of the current Indian setup to feature for their domestic side in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy commencing from December 24. There is a three-week gap between the last T20I against South Africa in Ahmedabad and the 1st ODI against New Zealand and the players have been asked by the Board to play at least 2 matches for their domestic teams.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who play only one format of the game, have already intimated their availability to the board and the current diktat is mainly for other senior pros of the team, such as Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav.
To prioritize domestic cricket, BCCI, earlier this year, after a poor show by the Indian team in Australia, made it compulsory for the current Indian players to play in domestic cricket, after which we saw the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma play for their Ranji team after years. Hence, this diktat is on similar lines to what was mandated earlier this year.
Shreyas Iyer Omitted From Diktat
BCCI has stated all the players which are deemed as fit by the Centre of Excellence will come under the ambit of this mandate. It can be said that except Shreyas Iyer, who is still recovering from a spleen injury, we can expect almost all prominent Indian players in action in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy.
"There are six rounds of Vijay Hazare Trophy scheduled between December 24 and start of the New Zealand ODIs. It is up to the players and their state associations to decide which two rounds they would like to play.
"But after the second T20I in Mullanpur, the players have been categorically told that playing Hazare isn't optional," a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
The move by BCCI will also counter the narrative doing the rounds that the selection committee and the head coach Gautam Gambhir are only targeting Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli by making them play in the tournament to make an example out of them. Whatever it is, one thing is sure that the availability of all the players in the tournament will give will create buzz among fans and boost its viewership.
