India's captain Rohit Sharma, along with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Shreyas Iyer, will be absent from the sixth round of the Ranji Trophy group stage. Nevertheless, the spotlight in the final round of India's premier domestic red-ball tournament is on the anticipated returns of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul. In advance of their comebacks on Wednesday, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar issued a caution to the BCCI regarding its new directives concerning participation in domestic cricket.

This directive is part of the BCCI's 10-point policy introduced following India's disappointing performance during the tour of Australia. Head coach Gautam Gambhir has also emphasized the importance of domestic cricket for regular players when they are not engaged in national duties.

According to BCCI guidelines, "Participation in Domestic Matches is mandatory for players to remain eligible for selection in the national team and for central contracts. This policy is designed to keep players integrated within the domestic cricket framework, promoting talent development, ensuring match fitness, and reinforcing the overall domestic structure. It also motivates emerging players by offering them the chance to compete alongside established cricketers, thereby ensuring a seamless progression of talent. Exceptions to this rule will only be made under exceptional circumstances and will necessitate formal notification and approval from the Chairman of the Selection Committee, thereby ensuring fairness and transparency in the selection process."

In light of this announcement, several Indian stars opted to participate in the fifth round of the Ranji Trophy, which resumed after the white-ball season on January 23. However, both Kohli and Rahul missed their respective matches due to injuries, with Kohli suffering from a neck sprain and Rahul dealing with an elbow injury.

'Getting a medical certificate for an ‘injury’ is child’s play'

In anticipation of the return of Kohli and Rahul for the final round of the group stage, Gavaskar expressed his curiosity regarding the potential consequences for players who miss domestic matches in his column for Sportstar. He cautioned the BCCI that obtaining a medical certificate has become increasingly straightforward. He emphasized that if an injury is cited as the reason for absence, players should consult with the National Cricket Academy alongside the BCCI's medical team to assess the severity of their condition.

He stated: "It will be particularly intriguing to observe the actions taken by the BCCI if these players do not participate. Were they genuinely injured? Acquiring a medical certificate for an 'injury' is quite simple, and if they are indeed injured, did they seek treatment and rehabilitation at the NCA, as was the case with Nitish Reddy when he sustained a side strain?"

"Is it not standard procedure for BCCI-contracted players to report to the NCA immediately following an injury, and only after receiving clearance from the BCCI specialists can they return to play for India? It is possible that these players chose to miss earlier matches for reasons unrelated to injury. We will soon have clarity on this matter."

Kohli is set to represent Delhi in the upcoming match against Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, while Rahul will participate in Karnataka's game against Haryana in Bengaluru.

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