New Delhi, November 12: As talks continue about the future of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in ODIs, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly made it clear that both senior players must take part in domestic cricket if they wish to be considered for national selection.
Notably, the star batters have already retired from Tests and T20Is and the ODIs now remain their only active form of international cricket.
Such circumstances has raised questions over their match fitness and readiness for upcoming series, particularly the ODIs against South Africa.
According to a report by The Indian Express, while Rohit has informed the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) that he is available to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Kohli, on the other hand, has not yet confirmed whether he will participate in the domestic one-day tournament or not.
“The board and team management have conveyed to both of them that they will have to play domestic cricket if they want to play for India. As they both have retired from two formats, they have to play domestic cricket to be match fit,” sources in the BCCI told The Indian Express.
This is not the first time the BCCI has issued such a directive. After India’s disappointing Border-Gavaskar Trophy performance against Australia, both Kohli and Rohit had featured in a Ranji Trophy match to regain form.
Meanwhile, chief selector Ajit Agarkar has also emphasized in recent past that domestic performances are key for players looking to make a comeback or retain their spot in the national squad.
Significantly, both Rohit and Kohli had last appeared together in the ODI series against Australia recently.
While Rohit impressed with the bat and slammed a fifty and a century in the three-match ODI series, Kohli looked out of form in the first two games. He however struck a fine 74 in the final game of the series.
