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India's senior duo Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have announced their retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect. Rohit and Kohli will continue to play in the ODIs. After the announcement, there were questions around whether they will continue to be in the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) A+ category of central contract worth Rs 7 crore. The BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has ended all speculations and said that they will be retained in the A+ category alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja.
"Both players are playing for India so there is not question about not having them in A+ category. They will continue to get all facilities of that grade," Saikia said in an exclusive conversation with Sports Tak.
Meanwhile, Rohit and Kohli are set to be in action soon with the resumption of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. While the revised schedule for the remainder of the IPL 2025 has been announced, the venues of the playoffs and the final are yet to be finalised.
"A call on venues of playoffs and the final will be take closer to the end of the league stage," Saikia said.
Final call awaited on Gavaskar's request
As IPL 2025 is set to resume on May 17 with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) scheduled to take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Ahead of the resumption, legendary Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar had urged the BCCI to hold the games without DJs and cheerleaders considering the lives lost due to the military conflict on India-Pakistan border.
“What I would really like to see is. These are the last few matches; we have had about 60 games or thereabouts. I think it is the last 15 or 16 games. I would sincerely hope, because of what has happened and some families have lost their near and dear ones, I would like that there is no music. Let’s not have the DJS screaming in the middle of an over.,” Gavaskar told Sports Tak a few days after the ceasefire agreement.
“None of that. Let the games be played. Let the crowds come in. Let’s just have a tournament, the balance of a tournament. It’s just no dancing girls, nothing. Just cricket would be a really nice way to respect the sentiment of the families who have lost their near and dear ones,” he added.
A top source from the BCCI said that Gavaskar's request is being considered. However, a final call is yet to be taken.
"BCCI will take a call on Gavaskar's request about playing the remainder of the IPL matches played quiety, without DJs and cheerleaders," the source said.
Meanwhile, the IPL franchises are sweating over overseas players' availability as they have national commitments.
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