Will Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan play Ranji Trophy final?

The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and its focus towards red-ball cricket has been the talk of the town recently. The likes of Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer were refrained from getting central contracts due to their negligence during the ongoing Ranji Trophy season. The importance of the domestic season was emphasised quite a few times by the board, and India’s head coach, Rahul Dravid, recently reflected on the same. 

Speaking of the Indian team, the side recently defeated England in a five-game Test series, with the final Test concluding at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala, and with the Ranji Trophy final looming on the horizon, several questions were raised over the availability of Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Sarfaraz Khan for the Ranji match. 

Will the Mumbaikers actually play?

With the BCCI’s new rule that players need to prioritise the Ranji Trophy over the IPL, it is possible that the board could provide for a charter flight for the trio straight from Dharamshala to Mumbai for the Ranji Trophy final. 

However, it remains unlikely that Rohit and Jaiswal would feature for Mumbai in the clash, as both batters played in all five Tests of the series against England. They could be given a rest ahead of the upcoming IPL 2024 season. Furthermore, a different case could be made for Sarfaraz Khan, as the youngster played his first Test in Rajkot in the third game and could feature for Mumbai. 

It is worth noting that Sarfaraz played just one match for Mumbai earlier in the season owing to his commitments to India A. Furthermore, if Indian skipper Rohit Sharma does end up making an appearance for Mumbai in the Ranji final, it will be his first appearance in the tournament since the 2016/17 season.

Shreyas Iyer will be making amends and competing for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy final, having re-joined the side for the semi-final after coming back from a set of injuries.

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