The BCCI has reportedly made it mandatory for the players to play domestic cricket when they are not representing Team India in international cricket. The board has taken the decisions after several players decided to train by themselves instead of playing Ranji Trophy and wait for the IPL season to begin.

Recently, former India allrounder raised the issue on X (formerly Twitter), saying that he was shocked to see players being fit enough to train but not to play domestic cricket. His comment came after reports emerged that out-of-favour wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan is training with Pandya brothers – Krunal and Hardik – in Baroda.

While India head coach Rahul Dravid stated that Kishan would have to play domestic cricket to become eligible for selection, the Jharkhand star decided against playing in the ongoing Ranji Trophy. He decided to join his Mumbai Indians captain in Baroda as the duo along with Krunal trained at the Kiran More Academy.

Finding it perplexing how someone can be fit enough to practice but not play domestic cricket. How does this even make sense?

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) February 10, 2024

The BCCI has now decided to act on it. According to a report in Cricbuzz, the board wants to instil discipline among players and has made it mandatory for the players to represent their state teams. The board conveyed the decision to the players via email on Monday (February 12). The directive is applicable to all the players who are not playing for Team India or undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.

As a result, all the eligible players are required to join their respective state teams for the upcoming round of Ranji Trophy matches commencing on February 16. The decision is likely to see Kishan returning to action in Ranji Trophy when Jharkhand take on Rajasthan in Jamshedpur.

BCCI’s directive for players:

Kishan is not the only player who has decided against playing Ranji Trophy and train privately. The likes of Krunal Pandya and Deepak Chahar have also not played in the tournament and are now required to take part in it. Shreyas Iyer, who was recently dropped from the Test squad, is also required to play the Ranji Trophy.

“Players cannot simply prioritize international cricket or the IPL. They must make themselves available for domestic cricket and honour their commitments to their respective state teams,” a BCCI official told the news outlet.