BCCI mandates Vijay Hazare matches for all India players

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made participation in domestic cricket compulsory for players in the national setup, instructing them to play in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy before the ODI series against New Zealand. As per reports, all current India players including senior stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma must feature in at least two matches of the tournament.

With a break of nearly three weeks between India’s final T20I against South Africa and the opening ODI against New Zealand, the board has encouraged players to use this window to stay match-ready through domestic competition. The Vijay Hazare Trophy is scheduled to begin on December 24, offering fans the opportunity to watch several international players turn out for their state teams.

The directive has reportedly been communicated by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee. The decision comes in the wake of India’s disappointing Test series in Australia, after which the BCCI decided to reinforce the importance of domestic cricket.

Both Kohli and Rohit have already conveyed their availability for the tournament. Other senior players, including Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav, have also been instructed to represent their respective state sides in at least two matches.

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Shreyas Iyer is the lone exception, as he continues his recovery from injury and requires additional time to regain full fitness. Apart from him, all senior players are expected to comply with the directive.

The board has underlined that the rule applies uniformly across the squad, dismissing suggestions that certain individuals are being singled out. Exemptions will only be considered if a player is declared unfit by the Centre of Excellence. BCCI officials are confident that players will have sufficient recovery time following the South Africa series.

“There are six rounds of the Vijay Hazare Trophy before the New Zealand ODIs begin. Players, in consultation with their state associations, can choose which two rounds they want to play. But after the second T20I in Mullanpur, it has been clearly communicated that playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy is mandatory,” a senior BCCI official said.