Indian ODI and Test skipper Rohit Sharma has confirmed that he will take part in Mumbai’s next round of Ranji Trophy match against Jammu and Kashmir. Recently, BCCI also issued a new directive, making it mandatory for national players to participate in domestic cricket. Mumbai's next Ranji Trophy fixture against Jammu and Kashmir will start on January 23. When asked about his availability during the press conference, Rohit Sharma said, "I will”.
Rohit Sharma’s form in the longest format has been under immense criticism following his disappointing outings in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Meanwhile, this will be Rohit Sharma’s first red-ball appearance for Mumbai in ten years. Emphasising further, Sharma said that nobody takes domestic cricket for granted.
"Last 6-7 years, if you go back and look at our calendar, there hasn't been a time where we were sitting at home for 45 days and there is (domestic) cricket going on. You do get that time when you finish IPL and if there's nothing happening (in domestic cricket) right after that..." Rohit said.
"But if you see our domestic season, it starts in October, maybe September, and it gets over by 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 (in) the last 6-7 years, I can at least tell about what has happened with me since I've started playing Test cricket regularly, which is from 2019, you hardly have any time in hand 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."
"We have addressed it now and nobody takes it (domestic red-ball cricket) for granted or anything like that. It is just ben based on 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. Now it's been made mandatory that if there is time, you have to play domestic cricket,” Rohit said.