BCCI issues diktat to all contracted players, makes it mandatory to play in Vijay Hazare Trophy: ‘Categorically told…’
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The BCCI has directed all contracted players to participate in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, clarifying earlier speculation about specific players. Read more.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has mandated that all contracted players must participate in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. This directive follows speculation that it applied only to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, ensuring they receive sufficient match practice, given their focus on ODI formats and questions surrounding their future participation leading up to the 2027 World Cup in Africa.
According to PTI, the BCCI's decision, communicated by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee, applies broadly to all contracted players, not exclusively to Kohli and Sharma. This decision comes after India's final T20I against South Africa on December 19th, preceding a three-week break before the ODI series against New Zealand, which starts on January 11th. The BCCI wants players actively engaged in domestic cricket during this gap.
According to a BCCI source quoted by PTI, the Vijay Hazare Trophy includes six rounds scheduled between December 24th and the commencement of the New Zealand ODIs. Players, in coordination with their respective state associations, can choose to participate in any two of these rounds. That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. the source emphasized that after the second T20I in Mullanpur, players were explicitly informed that participation in the Hazare Trophy is not optional.
This decision aligns with the BCCI's earlier resolution, made after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy loss to Australia, to require centrally contracted players to participate in domestic cricket whenever scheduling permits. Players such as Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, and Suryakumar Yadav are expected to comply, with Shreyas Iyer being an exception due to his ongoing injury recovery. Exemptions will only be granted to players deemed unfit by the Centre of Excellence. This mandate also addresses recent narratives suggesting the selection committee and coach Gautam Gambhir were singling out Kohli and Rohit.
