The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been contacted by India’s Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane for permission to play in the English County Championship for the Hampshire county in the months of May, June, and mid-July. Rahane was not considered for the Indian squad for the ICC World Cup 2019 and his application has been forwarded to the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administration (CoA).

As per the letter, Rahane wants to be given permission to turn out for the county team in four-day games. The letter has been forwarded by the CEO Rahul Johri to the CoA. "There is no reason why Rahane wouldn't be granted permission as the likes of Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara were also given the go-ahead. Also, Rahane isn't a part of the World Cup team, so he won't have any international commitment at that time. He wants to play four-day games and that should actually help him when he returns to play Test cricket for India after the showpiece event gets over in England and Wales," a senior BCCI official said to IANS.

Earlier Cheteshwar Pujara had benefitted from his county stint with Yorkshire and had said, "playing county cricket means you prepare on wickets where every ball could be the last you face in an innings. The wickets are really challenging and I love challenges. County cricket has improved me as a player."

Even Ishant Sharma plied his trade for the English county Sussex and shared his experience by saying, "I think the county has helped me a lot as it was very tiring. Bowling 300 overs in just 16 days, I played four games. But it brought a lot of control to my game. Gillespie (Sussex coach) gave me a lot of confidence. He was always supportive and gave me freedom. I was there for just two months so no technical changes, but I did work on some things which have helped."

(With IANS inputs)