Former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif has claimed that Indian batting stalwarts, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, are being targeted for their red-ball form and are forced to play domestic cricket ahead of the crucial white-ball assignments.
In the wake of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy debacle, the BCCI has made it mandatory for the centrally contracted cricketers to play domestic cricket when not on national duty.
As a result, the likes of Rohit, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja turned up for their respective domestic sides when the Ranji Trophy resumed on January 23.
On the other hand, Kohli wasn't available for selection for Delhi's match against Saurashtra due to neck sprain. The star batter has reportedly confirmed his availability for Delhi's next Ranji fixture against Railways, scheduled to begin on January 30.
According to Latif, Rohit and Kohli should focus on their upcoming white-ball assignments against England, keeping the next month's Champions Trophy in mind.
Latif said modern-day cricketers don't get much time to play domestic cricket due to the hectic international schedule. He emphasized that the star duo played two World Cup finals in the last two years without playing domestic cricket.
"There is no time for players to play domestic cricket due to the packed international calendar. If needed they should play domestic cricket but due to the targeting of Rohit (Sharma) and Virat (Kohli), they're forcing everyone to play domestic cricket. In the past, barring Sachin Tendulkar, others have not played much domestic cricket... Rohit and Virat have won the T20 World Cup and reached the final of the ODI World Cup without playing domestic cricket. They will next play the ODI series against England so they should prepare for it as white-ball is a totally different game," Latif told IANS.
Rohit and Kohli will return to action for India during the ODI series against England, starting on February 6 in Nagpur. The three ODIs are seen as a final dress rehearsal for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, slated to be held in Pakistan and UAE from February 19 to March 9.
India will begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh on February 20 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
(With IANS Inputs)
