As the Indian cricket team geared up for their fifth and final Test outing against England in Dharamsala, captain Rohit Sharma reaffirmed his stance on the importance of playing domestic cricket during the press conference on Wednesday. The likes of Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan have been in the news for their reluctance to play Ranji Trophy, but Rohit feels it is important for everyone to play domestic cricket unless there is a medical reason certified by the team. Although Rohit did not mention the names of Iyer and Kishan, he was firm in his message and emphasized on the importance of playing first-class cricket.
“There has been talk about this for a long time. That when the players are available, they should make themselves available to play domestic cricket unless they have been given a certificate from the medical group they want to be equipped or will not participate in domestic cricket, but if you are available, if you are fit, if you are doing well, it is important that we play that,” Rohit said at the press conference.
“It's not up to just a few cricketers, it's up to everyone to make sure that when you are available, and when it's right, you can play domestic cricket.” Rohit is busy preparing for the Dharamsala Test but still found time to watch the recently concluded Ranji Trophy semi-finals in which his own home team Mumbai participated.
“You saw the Ranji Trophy that was played this week, I watched Mumbai and Tamil Nadu, obviously there was a very interesting match going on today as well, I think Vidarbha won (they did on Wednesday).
“When such matches happen, you see the quality and everything exposed for everyone to watch. It is important that we give importance to domestic cricket, which is the core of Indian cricket,” the skipper said.
During the conversation with the media personnel, Rohit also addressed Rajat Patidar's poor form. While the middle-order batsman has scored a plethora of runs in domestic cricket, he has not yet managed to repeat the same for Team India in international cricket. However, Rohit continues to support him.
“Rajat Patidar has not scored as many runs as we wanted. But he has the ability. He has scored runs in domestic cricket. He has missed opportunities here, that happens when you start your career. It is our job to do that .” he doesn't feel any pressure internally,” the India captain said, reaffirming his faith in the young batsman.
Players like Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer will next be seen in action during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, looking to impress the selectors and earn a spot in the Indian T20 World Cup squad. However, as the competition for places is very intense, the duo would have to deliver an extraordinary performance.
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