Former cricketer Madan Lal expressed his happiness over the participation of Indian cricket stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the second phase of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 season. Madan Lal said playing domestic cricket allows players to stay connected to the tournament that shaped their careers.
Rohit Sharma is set to make his return to domestic cricket after almost a decade. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has included him in the squad for their match against Jammu and 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 the 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 scored scores of 14 and 42 runs in the two innings.
I am very happy that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will play in the first division – 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 am very happy that all these players will play in the first division. You need to play matches in the tournament that made you the player. You should play domestic matches whenever you have the opportunity, because young players can learn from you, and maybe one day in the future, these players will become The players are great players…” Madan Lal told ANI.
If Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant play, Delhi have a chance to win – Madan Lal
The cricketer-turned-expert 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 pointed out that players often avoid local matches, unlike what happened during his era.
“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, they have a chance to win. So this was very important.” He added, “This rule existed before as well, but they used to avoid it. We never avoided first-class matches.”
The BCCI takes a tougher stance on the participation of Indian international stars in domestic cricket
Rohit Sharma's return to first-class cricket has sparked discussions about his future in Test cricket. The 37-year-old remains committed to playing in the longest playing XI, even after being left out of India's squad 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 defeat at home to New Zealand. However, after India's 3-1 loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the Board of Control for Cricket in India adopted a tougher stance on the participation of international players in domestic cricket.
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