The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah shared the reasons behind star batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli aren’t playing in the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2024. The veteran duo were rumoured to play in the domestic tournament but when the squads were announced both weren’t included.
In a media interaction with Mumbai, Jay Shah spoke about how Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli could be exposed to injuries and hence the board hasn’t picked them for the Duleep Trophy. Other than Sharma and Kohli, most Indian players in the national team set up are featuring in the tournament.
Shah explains WHY Rohit and Virat aren’t playing in DT 2024
As per Wisden, Shah said, “We should not insist on players like Rohit and Virat to play in the Duleep Trophy. They will risk injury. If you have noticed, in Australia and England, every international player does not play domestic cricket. We have to treat the players with respect.”
Jay Shah also spoke that other notable names will be involved in domestic cricket and specifically mentioned Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer who lost their BCCI central contracts due to their alleged lack of participation in domestic red-ball cricket.
Shah said, “Apart from them, everyone else is playing. You should appreciate that. One must note that Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer are playing in the Buchi Babu tournament.”