Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar questioned the reasons provided by players who missed the recently concluded round of Ranji Trophy 2024-25. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made domestic cricket a non-negotiable aspect as per the newly-enforced guidelines, and absence from competitions has to be approved by the management.
The latest mandate drove several first-team members to return to the domestic circuit, although it was not a 100 percent turnout. While skipper Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, and Rishabh Pant featured for their respective sides, some big names like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Mohammed Siraj were absent from the proceedings.
According to reports, Kohli suffered a neck sprain which affected his availability for the clash against Saurashtra. The ace batter was named among the probables but the chances of him featuring in the playing XI were subject to fitness.
Gavaskar questioned the legitimacy of such claims, remarking that obtaining medical certificates to show an injury is ‘child’s play’.
“More interesting would be what action the BCCI takes if they don’t play. Were they injured? Getting a medical certificate for an ‘injury’ is child’s play, and if they are injured, did they go to the NCA for treatment and recovery, as Nitish Reddy was sent the moment he had that side strain?” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar
“Isn’t that the practice for the BCCI-contracted players, that as soon as there’s an injury, they have to report to the NCA, and only after the BCCI experts there certify them as fit can they resume playing for India? For all we know, these players might have opted out of the earlier games for non-injury reasons,” he added
Kohli, Siraj, and Rahul have confirmed their availability for the next round of fixtures commencing on January 30.
“Ayush Mhatre, who had got a couple of hundreds and some fifties, had to be left out” – Sunil Gavaskar
With accomplished openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal returning to the domestic setup, Mumbai had to reshuffle their batting unit. Given how the pair got into the side straightaway, it meant that the in-form 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre had to sit out for the game against Jammu and Kashmir.
“Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s participation meant that Ayush Mhatre, who had got a couple of hundreds and some fifties, had to be left out of the Mumbai side. Hopefully, the youngster would have spent some time with both these players and picked their brains about adding to his batting ability,” Gavaskar mentioned
Both Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal failed to impress with the bat across both innings as Mumbai lost the match by five wickets at home.
Edited by Srinjoy Sanyal
