Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli face heat as BCCI enforces strict domestic cricket participation rules
In a high-stakes meeting held at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Saturday, January 12, the performance of the Indian cricket team came under intense scrutiny following the team’s debacle in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The meeting was attended by Indian captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Gautam Gambhir, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, BCCI president Roger Binny, vice-president Rajeev Shukla and joint secretary Devjit Saikia.
Domestic cricket is now mandatory for India’s senior players, BCCI declares
According to a report by Dainik Jagran, after reviewing India’s recent performance, especially against Australia and New Zealand, the BCCI issued a nonsensical directive, ordering senior players to participate in domestic cricket to improve their performance and be fit for the match.
The BCCI is tightening its grip on centrally contracted players, allowing them to skip domestic cricket matches only under strict conditions. Players seeking exemption must submit a detailed physiotherapist report and clearance from Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar.
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The report says BCCI will give the go-ahead to these players only if India coach Gambhir and chief selector Agarkar cite workload management or other genuine concerns. BCCI’s message is bold and clear that there will be no exceptions, only total commitment to the game at all levels.
BCCI puts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli under scrutiny for poor form and absence from Domestic cricket
Meanwhile, the high-level meeting also discussed the performance issues of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma on Saturday. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s disappointing tour of Australia has raised serious questions about their form and future in the Indian Test team.
Rohit managed just 31 runs in five innings and bowed out of the final Test in Sydney due to a poor performance, while Kohli scored a century in Perth but struggled overall, amassing just 190 runs in nine innings, often falling to off-stump deliveries in Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
Adding to the concern is their long absence from domestic cricket. Rohit last played a Ranji Trophy match in 2015, while Kohli last appeared in 2012. This gap was reportedly a key topic during the BCCI’s meeting in Mumbai, where their poor form and lack of domestic match practice was discussed.
According to a report in Dainik Jagran, this flaw was also discussed during BCCI’s review meeting in Mumbai. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s poor form with the bat and lack of domestic match practice were also discussed during the screening meeting.
BCCI seeks solutions from Gautam Gambhir and selectors as Rohit and Kohli’s Test future is in doubt
India’s next Test series is against England in June 2025 and speculation is rife as to whether Rohit and Kohli will make the squad for the much-anticipated tour of Great Britain. With their recent performances under scrutiny, the future of India’s biggest cricketing icons is under threat.
On the other hand, Gautam Gambhir’s coaching stint in Team India got off to a rough start. Team India lost the ODI series against Sri Lanka, faced a crushing Test against New Zealand at home and lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia for the first time in 10 years.
Adding to the problem, the Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team failed to secure a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final for the first time. With these results, the BCCI demands immediate solutions from Gambhir, the selectors and the team management to get India back on track.
