The persistent lack of participation in domestic cricket continues to plague senior members of the Indian cricket team, as experts show no signs of easing up on their criticism following the team's 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand. Many believe that players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli would have greatly benefited from competing in the Duleep Trophy, and some even suggest that they should consider playing in the ongoing Ranji Trophy. Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif shares a similar viewpoint, advocating for the top stars to set aside their luxuries such as fancy cars, private flights, and VIP treatment, and instead focus on honing their skills in domestic cricket.
In the upcoming fixtures, Delhi is scheduled to face Chandigarh in an away game, while Mumbai will host Odisha in the Ranji Trophy. The Indian team is not departing for Australia until the end of the week, prompting Kaif to urge certain players to make themselves available for the Ranji Trophy.
"Absolutely. They need form, and they need to bat hours there. If they end up scoring a hundred, then it will benefit them immensely and serve as a morale booster," Kaif said in a video shared on social media.
Kaif also highlighted a memorable moment from the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020 series, where wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant made a significant impact. Pant's inclusion in the team followed a century in a practice match, and he played a crucial role in India's historic victory Down Under.
"Let me remind you of Rishabh Pant here. He ended up scoring the winning run in Gabba, but he was neither part of the ODI nor the T20I squad in that tour. He only went for the Test series, where Wriddhiman Saha played ahead of him. But India incurred that '36 all out' and we lost the match, Pant was included. But remember, Pant had played a practice match in that tour, in a Pink Ball match supposedly, and scored a century, after which he was included in the XI so he emerged as a whole different player then," he said.
Kaif has encouraged players such as Kohli, Rohit, and others to move away from the VIP culture and focus on playing domestic cricket in order to improve their performance.
"So whoever thinks that they are struggling to score runs and did not get enough game time, they should 100 per cent play in domestic cricket. Forget that you travel in big cars and flights and that you may not get VIP treatment there. If you want to find form, you need to put in that effort," he asserted.
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