'Need to hear your players' - Rahul Dravid on India's domestic calender

India head coach Rahul Dravid has advocated for an in-depth examination involving both coaches and players to tackle major issues in the Ranji Trophy and Domestic cricket as a whole. His comments came while responding to a query on what the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) can do to the concerns raised by Shardul Thakur about tight schedules causing injuries.

Dravid stated that several players also raised their concerns regarding the break between matches in the domestic tournament. The former cricketer suggested that the BCCI should consider listening to players who experience the challenges firsthand. 

Also read: ‘There will be a lot of injuries’ - Shardul Thakur calls for longer break between Ranji games

"I've heard the same as well. I saw some of the comments Shardul [Thakur], I think, made and, in fact, some of the [new] boys who've come into the team [have said it] as well. Some comment about how tough the domestic schedule is, especially in a country like India with the amount of travel involved. So yeah, we need to hear the players. That's a very important thing in a lot of these things," Dravid was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. 

"You need to hear your players because they are the ones going through the grind and putting their bodies on the line; and if there are enough voices saying that, then yeah, I think there's some need to look at it and see how we can manage our schedules. It's a long season already in India. It's tough," he added.

Also read: I hope money is not an incentive to play Test cricket: Rahul Dravid

The domestic calendar for senior men commenced in June 2023 with the Duleep Trophy, followed by the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in October, and the premier domestic competition Ranji Trophy scheduled from January 2024. The Ranji Trophy tournament saw players criss-crossing since they had only three-day breaks between matches. For instance, the Ranji Trophy finalists, Mumbai and Vidarbha, playing the final on March 10, have played ten first-class games in just over ten weeks.