BCCI directs Test hopefuls to play Ranji Trophy before New Zealand tour
Senior India players face a mandatory domestic red-ball requirement ahead of the New Zealand Test series. The BCCI wants workload management balanced with preparation needs.
The BCCI instructed senior players likely to tour New Zealand for the two-Test series beginning November 15 to feature in the Ranji Trophy that starts October 11. Captain Shubman Gill and vice-captain KL Rahul are expected to play at least one group-stage match for Punjab and Karnataka respectively.
The team management wants Jasprit Bumrah to gain red-ball volume before the tour with options including one Ranji match for Gujarat or an India A fixture when the squad assembles on October 24. Mohammed Siraj, Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna, Auqib Nabi and Akash Deep have also been told to secure sufficient first-class overs.
The policy follows the 2024 home series whitewash that exposed insufficient domestic preparation among players returning from limited-overs cricket.
CricHubb Take
The directive reverses a trend where limited-overs specialists bypassed domestic red-ball cricket. Whether one or two matches provide adequate preparation remains untested at this level.