Former cricketer Madan Lal has expressed his happiness over the participation of Indian cricket stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the second phase of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season. Madan Lal said playing domestic cricket allows players to stay connected with the tournament that shaped their careers.
Rohit Sharma is set to return to domestic cricket after almost a decade. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has included him in the squad for their match against Jammu & Kashmir starting Thursday, January 23. This marks Rohit Sharma's first appearance in the Ranji Trophy since the 2015-16 season.
Virat Kohli is set to play for Delhi in their upcoming Ranji Trophy match against Railways, sources from the Delhi and District Cricket Association have confirmed. Kohli's last appearance in the Ranji Trophy was in November 2012 against Uttar Pradesh where he posted scores of 14 and 42 in the two innings.
I am so happy that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will play first class – Madan Lal
Speaking to ANI, Madan Lal said that the presence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will help young cricketers, who can learn from the experience and guidance of experienced players, to become great players in the future.
“I'm so happy that all these players are going to play first class. You have to play matches in the tournament that made you a player. You should play domestic matches whenever you get the chance because the young players can learn from you. Maybe one day in future these players will become big players…,” Madan Lal told ANI.
If Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant play, Delhi have a chance to win – Madan Lal
The cricketer-turned-pundit said the presence of players like Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant could boost Delhi's chances of qualifying for the knockout stages of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy. Lal noted that players often avoided domestic matches, unlike in his time.
“Team morale also goes up a lot when players like Kohli and Rohit play. If a team is struggling to qualify like Delhi. If Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant play, then they have a chance to win. So that was a very important thing .step… this rule was there before but we used to never avoid it.
The BCCI is taking a stricter stance on the participation of Indian international stars in domestic cricket
Rohit Sharma's return to first-class cricket has sparked talks about his future in Test cricket. The 37-year-old batsman remains committed to playing in the longest format, even after being dropped from India's playing XI for the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He scored just 31 runs in five innings.
Under his leadership, the Indian cricket team also suffered a 3-0 whitewash at home by New Zealand. However, after India's 3–1 loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the Board of Control for Cricket in India took a stricter stance on the involvement of international players in domestic cricket.
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