Ind batters return to domestic cricket

They will play The Ranji Trophy to regain form

NEW DELHI:

The Ranji Trophy has benefited from an unexpected sprinkling of stardust with several big-name India batters returning to domestic cricket looking to find form after their horror run over the last three months.

Rohit Sharma and his team are still smarting from a 3-0 series sweep at home by New Zealand followed by a 3-1 hammering in Australia which ended their decade-long hold on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The setbacks also ended their hopes of making a third straight World Test Championship final.

India dropped their woefully out-of-form captain Rohit for the final test in Australia after he failed as both an opener, his usual role, and in the middle order.

Rohit, who has ruled out test retirement despite managing one fifty in his last 15 innings in the format, trained with the Mumbai squad at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday ahead of the second phase of the Ranji Trophy beginning on Jan. 23.

The 37-year-old is likely to play at least one of Mumbai's remaining two Group A matches, nine years after his last appearance in the country's premier domestic first-class tournament.

Rohit's opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was India's highest scorer in the five-test series in Australia, has made himself available for Mumbai's home match against Jammu and Kashmir next week.

Top order batter Shubman Gill, who tallied 93 from five innings in Australia, will be seen in action in Punjab's next match against Karnataka in Bengaluru.

Rishabh Pant, whose natural aggression occasionally bordered on recklessness in Australia, will play Delhi's next match against Saurashtra. The exciting stumper-batter has not played a Ranji Trophy match since the 2017-2018 season.

Batting stalwart Virat Kohli also returned with a battered reputation from Australia having managed 190 in nine innings, including an unbeaten 100 in the series opener in Perth.

Kohli is yet to confirm his return to the tournament he last played in 2012 even though the Indian board has told players to return to domestic cricket to regain their form.

India's next test assignment is a five-match series in England from June 20.

Pay structure

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to introduce a major overhaul of the Indian cricket team's pay structure.

Recent reports indicate that the BCCI will implement a corporate-style appraisal system, where players' salaries will be directly linked to individual performance.

Additionally, the board plans to impose limits on family visits during extended tours, aiming to reduce the time players' wives and girlfriends can spend traveling with them.

The proposed changes come after the Indian team's disappointing performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

India faced a 3-1 series defeat in Australia and were earlier whitewashed 3-0 by New Zealand at home, leading to their elimination from the Championship final.

During a recent BCCI review meeting, attended by captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, the idea of a variable salary structure was discussed.

This new approach aims to hold players accountable for their performance, with pay cuts serving as a penalty for poor displays on the field.

The BCCI is also considering stricter regulations for players during extended tours. Family visits will be restricted, with wives and girlfriends allowed to join players for a maximum of two weeks during one-and-a-half-month-long tours.

Furthermore, players will be required to travel together on team buses, with additional luggage allowed at their own expense.

These measures are reportedly in response to both the team's poor performance and internal controversies that have affected team dynamics.

The review meeting ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy also included key takeaways about limiting family visits during shorter tours.

Under the new guidelines, players' wives will no longer be permitted to accompany them for the entire duration of a tour, with visits capped at seven days.

Additionally, a significant change will affect Gautam Gambhir's managerial arrangements. His manager will no longer be allowed to sit in the VIP box, travel with the team, or stay in the same hotel. Instead, the manager will be required to find separate accommodation.