Rohit Sharma confirms he will take part in second phase of Ranji Trophy

Ajit Agarkar and skipper Rohit Sharma held a press conference on Saturday to announce the 15-member squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 and ODI series against England.

During the press conference, a journalist asked Rohit whether he would take part in the second phase of the Ranji Trophy, to which the 37-year-old said, "He will".

Rohit's return to first-class cricket coincides with mounting discussions about his future in Test cricket. At 37, he remains determined to continue in the longest format, despite stepping aside for India's XI in the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney earlier this month.

Rohit's recent performances in red-ball cricket have raised questions. During the Australia tour, he managed only 31 runs in five innings across three Tests. This followed a lean patch at home in the 2023-24 season, where he averaged just 13.30 in ten innings against Bangladesh and New Zealand. Under his leadership, India suffered a historic 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand -- their first-ever at home in a series of three or more matches.

The India skipper, however, acknowledged that amid the massive workload, players hardly get time to play domestic cricket. He added that now it has been made mandatory that if one has time they have to take part in domestic cricket.

"In the last 6-7 years, there has not been a time where we have been sitting at home for 45 days... Our domestic season starts in October and at that time India plays a lot of cricket as well. Guys who are not playing certain formats and have time and there is domestic cricket happening, then they will play," Rohit said.

"Since I started playing test cricket regularly in 2019, you hardly have any time. When you play so much international cricket through the year you need some time off as well to refresh and get your mind right for the upcoming season...Now it has been made mandatory that if you have time you have to play domestic cricket," he added.

Mumbai, the reigning Ranji Trophy champions, are well-placed to advance to the knockout stage. With three wins in five matches, they currently sit third in Group A, just one point behind second-placed Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier on Thursday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released new policies for Team India, making it "mandatory" to participate in domestic matches to remain "eligible" for selection in the national team and for the central contracts.

In the policy, BCCI stated that taking part in domestic cricket will remain connected to the cricket ecosystem. The statement added that any exceptions to taking part in domestic cricket will be considered only under extraordinary circumstances. (ANI)