Sachin Tendulkar emphasized the importance of national players participating in the Ranji Trophy, stating that it allows them to revisit fundamental skills while simultaneously enhancing the standard of domestic cricket. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently mandated that centrally contracted players must engage in domestic red-ball cricket unless on national duty or at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
This directive led to the exclusion of Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from the central contract roster after they skipped their respective state teams’ Ranji Trophy matches. Tendulkar highlighted that when national players represent their domestic sides, it raises the level of competition, benefiting aspiring cricketers and facilitating the discovery of fresh talent.
Despite not being on international duty since departing from the South Africa tour in December, 25-year-old Kishan opted out of Jharkhand’s Ranji Trophy matches, focusing instead on preparing for the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the Mumbai Indians.
The Ranji Trophy semi-finals have been riveting! @MumbaiCricAssoc’s march into the finals was aided by a brilliant batting recovery, while the other semi-final hangs in the balance going into the last day – Madhya Pradesh need 90+ runs to win, Vidarbha need 4 wickets.…
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) March 5, 2024
Sachin Tendulkar posted on X with caption: “It also gives the national players a chance to sometimes rediscover the basics.”
“Throughout my career, I remained passionate about playing for Mumbai whenever I had the opportunity. Growing up, we had almost 7-8 India players in our dressing room, and it was fun to play alongside them.”
“The Ranji Trophy semi-finals have been riveting! @MumbaiCricAssoc’s march into the finals was aided by a brilliant batting recovery, while the other semi-final hangs in the balance going into the last day – Madhya Pradesh need 90 runs to win, Vidarbha need 4 wickets.”
Contrarily, Iyer, who was omitted from the Indian team following the second Test against England, chose not to participate in Mumbai’s Ranji quarterfinal against Baroda but later played in the semifinal against Tamil Nadu. Tendulkar believes that the involvement of prominent Indian players in their respective state teams will stimulate greater interest in domestic competitions, ultimately benefiting the cricketing ecosystem.
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