India wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant declined to lead Delhi is the Ranji Trophy. The wicketkeeper batter allowed Ayush Badoni to continue captaincy. India batting great Virat Kohli has also been included in the squad. This is after 12 years since Kohli was named in the Ranji Trophy squad, though his participation remains subject to availability.
Delhi will face Saurashtra in the sixth Elite Group D match which will take place in Rajkot from January 23 to 26.
Sources close to Sports Tak said that Kohli who is part of the Delhi squad will give final confirmation about his availability for the match by the evening of January 17. Rishabh Pant denied to lead. Pant want Badoni to continue as captain.
It was during the 2017–2018 season that Pant last participated in a Ranji Trophy match. Superstar Virat Kohli, who last played for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy in 2012, is unclear about his participation, though.
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Earlier on January 16, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) introduced a 10-point guideline for India’s contracted men’s players to “promote discipline, unity, and a positive team environment.” A key element of the document is the mandatory availability of players for all domestic cricket. Non-compliance could result in the loss of selection for international assignments and potentially impact central contract renewals.
The BCCI made it clear that no exceptions would be entertained, except in “extraordinary circumstances,” which would require approval from the selection panel head.
Many cricketing experts and former cricketers urge the current generation of players, particularly the struggling Rohit Sharma and Kohli, to feature in domestic red-ball cricket. Former India veterans Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri are among them.