Reports | Limited-over specialists asked by BCCI to avoid Ranji matches
BCCI has reportedly asked limited-over specialists like Yuzvendra Chahal and Jasprit Bumrah to train at the NCA instead of playing in the Ranji Trophy. The board wants the players to stay fresh for the limited overs series, against Sri Lanka, where India will play three ODIs and three T20Is.
The Ranji Trophy has already been replaced by the IPL when it comes to the selection process, which has left former cricketers and experts infuriated, and now reports have suggested that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) no longer sees it as an ideal platform for national players to practice when not playing for the country.
According to TOI, BCCI has become cautious with the playersā fitness and has barred the ODI and T20I specialists from playing in the age-old domestic tournament. Players like Chahal, Bumrah, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav, and Dinesh Karthik are currently going through training and recovery at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
"Chahal had asked for permission to play for Haryana but he was not allowed to do so by the team management. Instead, he was asked to stay back at NCA after the T20I series against New Zealand a fortnight ago," a BCCI official close to the development told TOI.
āThe idea is to preserve these players. They have been doing well for the ODI team and there's no point in burning them out or risking injuries by playing domestic matches."
Karthik and Jadhav skipped the last round of Ranji matches citing a hip strain and hand injury respectively, while Hardik Pandya skipped the Test series citing fitness issues. Quite understandably, the recent developments havenāt gone down well with the state cricket authorities who are dealing were relying on their star players to return home for the domestic tournament.
"After a lot of effort over the years, India players were made to play Ranji Trophy while not playing for the national team and selections were done based on that. The Haryana team management wanted Chahal to play since six players are injured at the moment. Gujarat too needed Bumrah and Patel's services but all of that has been ignored," a top BCCI official reported.
India