Rohit, Agarkar break silence on BCCI's 10-point disciplinary guidelines: 'I don't think it's a diktat'

When asked about BCCI’s rule making it mandatory for Team India players to play in Ranji Trophy, Rohit Sharma said that international calendar doesn’t allow them to participate in domestic matches and they also need some off time. read more

India captain Rohit Sharma has confirmed that he will be playing for Mumbai against Jammu and Kashmir in the next round Ranji Trophy match on 23 January as the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) new diktat has made it mandatory for Indian cricket team players to take part in domestic cricket.

The BCCI’s 10-point diktat in the aftermath of a 3-1 Test series loss in Australia said that players will have to participate in domestic cricket to remain eligible for central contracts and national team selection.

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Rohit: ‘No time to play domestic cricket’

Rohit, who had a disastrous Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scoring just 31 runs in five innings will look to regain his red-ball form in Ranji cricket. The 37-year-old, however, did not shy away from mentioning that the top cricketers hardly get any free time from international cricket to play Ranji Trophy matches.

“If you go back and watch our calendar, there hasn’t been a time where we were sitting at home for 45 days and there is cricket going on. You do get that time when you finish IPL, and if there’s nothing happening right after that,” Rohit Sharma said during a press conference to announce India’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad.

“But if you see our domestic season, it starts in October, maybe September. And it gets over by March, February-March. And that is the time India plays a lot of cricket as well,”

“So, guys who are not playing certain formats and have time, and then there is domestic cricket happening, then they will play. But the last 6-7 years, I can at least tell about what has happened with me since I have started playing Test cricket regularly, which is from 2019. You hardly have any time,” added Rohit.

The India captain, who led the Men in Blue to the T20 World Cup win last year, added that cricketers also need “some time off” in a busy calendar to recharge their batteries.

“And then when you play so much international cricket through the year, you need some time off as well as a cricketer just to refresh, get your mind right, just to be ready for the upcoming season,” Rohit said.

“But we have addressed it now, and nobody takes it for granted or anything like that. It is just based on, you know, looking at how one has gone through the season, how much rest he needs. Based on all of that, we decide what is going to happen with certain players. And then, yeah, obviously, now it’s been made mandatory that if there is time, you have to play domestic cricket.”

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Agarkar: ‘BCCI’s new rules are not a diktat’

The chief selector Ajit Agarkar stressed that BCCI’s new rules are not a diktat. He added that while it may not always be possible for all-format players to take part in domestic cricket matches, they should participate whenever a window is available.

“I don’t think it’s a diktat. I think everyone should, when available. Sometimes, to be fair to a lot of the players, it’s difficult if you’re playing all three formats. You don’t get as much time, but there’s no doubt. You’ll probably find most guys playing this round of the Ranji Trophy. There’s been a little bit of time. And those who are available and fit, obviously, you expect people to play,” said Agarkar.

“I don’t think it’s a diktat. It’s one of the things that BCCI has obviously put forward. But as I said, I mean, as selectors, we expect people, when they’re available, to play because that can only strengthen our domestic structure. Not just for their form or their fitness and playing cricket, but it can only strengthen our domestic structure. So, when the time permits, we expect everyone to play,” he added.

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While Rohit will be playing for Mumbai, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul are reportedly set to miss Ranji Trophy matches on 23 January.

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