Rohit, Kohli begin 36-day break ahead of IND vs SA ODIs, BCCI will take call on playing domestic cricket

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will decide whether Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should play domestic cricket in order to keep up with the rigors of ODI and international cricket.

BCCI National Directive to Rohit-Kohli

After showing some rust, Rohit and Kohli finished the India vs Australia ODI series on a high. They bid farewell to Australia with a total of 168 runs, and both remained unbeaten, Rohit at 121 and Kohli at 74.

But we cannot ignore that age does not work in their favor. They may have been successful in Australia despite not having played any competitive cricket since early June, but surely that cannot be the model for the future. Indian ODI captain Shubman Gill confirmed that the BCCI, selectors and management will meet on the issue.

“I think so far it hasn’t been talked about, but I think after the South Africa series there will be a gap; there will be a gap until the New Zealand series, so I think then we will see how to keep the players in touch, then I think a decision will be made,” Gill told reporters in Sydney after the third ODI.

The return of VHT on the cards?

Rohit and Kohli’s next assignment will be the India vs South Africa ODI series, which will be played from November 30 to December 6 in India. This means veteran batters will not play cricket for more than a month.

After that there will be another similar gap. India’s next ODI mission will be against New Zealand, starting from January 11. However, there is a way for Rohit and Kohli to play more. From December 24, the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT), India’s domestic List A tournament, will begin. While it runs until January 18, the group stage matches will conclude on January 8.

This means Rohit and Kohli can play 7 List A matches between the South Africa and New Zealand series, for Mumbai and Delhi respectively. This large number of matches would be enough for them to keep in touch, and the selectors could also assess their position.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s potential schedule