BCCI wants Test specialists to be part of domestic cricket, exceptions for Rohit, Kohli and Bumrah

According to reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah has made it clear that even star players will have to partake in domestic cricket whenever they are not on national duty. However, exceptions will be made for the talismanic troika of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah.

The BCCI wants all the other Test specialists to play at least one, if not two, of the Duleep Trophy matches in August as a precursor to the home Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand.

"This time there is no zonal selection committee for the Duleep Trophy. Only the national selection committee will pick Duleep teams. All Test team contenders will be picked. For Rohit, Virat, and Bumrah, it will be their choice if they want to play or not," a source was quoted as saying by India Today.

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India are set to play a two-match Test series against Bangladesh, beginning in September. The two teams will go on to face each other in a three-match T20I series to end the tour. In October, New Zealand will arrive in India to play a three-match Test series. Rohit and Co. are currently placed at No. 1 on the World Test Championship (WTC) points table and would want to extend their lead at the top by doing well in the home Tests against Bangladesh and New Zealand.

Hardik Pandya to lead India in T20Is

On expected lines, the latest reports suggest that Hardik Pandya is leading the race to become India's new T20I captain after Rohit Sharma retired from the format following the Men in Blue's triumphant T20 World Cup 2024 campaign.

India's next assignment is a three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka in Pallekele, starting later this month. Hardik is set to take charge of the team on this tour, which will also be Gautam Gambhir's first assignment after being appointed as India's new head coach.

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"Hardik Pandya was India's T20 vice-captain under Rohit Sharma. He is completely fit and available for the three-match T20I series and will lead the side," a senior BCCI source added.