Aakash Chopra criticizes Indian cricketers for skipping Ranji Trophy round
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer and current commentator, Aakash Chopra, has expressed his disappointment over senior players' participation in the ongoing Ranji Trophy.
He noted that a lot of these players have only played one match before pulling out of the next ones.
The trend was seen in the first week of matches starting January 23, with many big names now missing from the second week's lineup starting January 30.
Commitment questioned
Chopra questions players' commitment to domestic cricket
Chopra emphasized that apart from Ravindra Jadeja, all senior Indian players who played the January 23 matches are now missing the ongoing round.
This includes big names such as Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant.
He expressed his concerns on his YouTube channel saying, "Ultimately, all the players have played their token Ranji Trophy match, marked their attendance and left."
Privilege
Chopra: Playing 1st-class cricket should be a privilege
Chopra further stressed that playing in the Ranji shouldn't be viewed as a punishment but a privilege.
Regarding which he stated, "Playing first-class cricket shouldn't be a punishment, it should be a privilege."
His remarks come after India's dismal 1-3 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, prompting the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to issue guidelines for players' participation in domestic cricket.
However, most Indian players have opted to play just one game, despite the directive.
Stellar performance
Jadeja features in both matches for Saurashtra
Unlike his peers, Ravindra Jadeja has made his presence felt across two rounds.
He stood tall in Saurashtra's massive win over Delhi, taking 12 scalps and scoring a vital 38-run knock.
He is now featuring in his side's ongoing clash against Assam.
On Day 1, Saurashtra are well placed with 361/3 in 90 overs.
Failures
Rohit Sharma suffered twin failures in Ranji Trophy
Earlier, Sharma didn't enjoy a return to the Ranji Trophy as he would have hoped for.
The Indian captain, battling poor form in Tests, managed three runs from 19 balls on Day 1 against Jammu & Kashmir in the previous round.
He scored 28 in Mumbai's 2nd innings on Day 2 at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy BKC, Mumbai.
Notably, Mumbai lost the clash against J&K.
Kohli's return
15,000 fans, pitch invader and Kohli chants govern Jaitley stadium
Over 15,000 cricket fans gathered at Arun Jaitley Stadium to watch Virat Kohli's return to the Ranji Trophy.
The former Indian captain is playing against Railways, his first First-Class appearance for the first time since 2012.
The Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) had previously allowed free entry for the public through two gates leading to the Gautam Gambhir stand.
The match was also briefly halted when a fan invaded the pitch and ran towards Kohli.
Information
KL Rahul dismissed for 26 on Ranji Trophy return
Star Indian batter KL Rahul returned to the Ranji Trophy after a gap of two years. The 32-year-old returned to action for Karnataka against Haryana in the ongoing round at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium. He was dismissed for 26 off 37 balls in the first innings.