IPL destroying international cricket? Rohit Sharma delivers a no-nonsense verdict

Team India ODI and Test captain Rohit Sharma said that domestic cricket tournaments like the Ranji Trophy still play a crucial role in player selection for the national team. Rohit Sharma highlighted that the Indian Premier League (IPL) hasn’t diminished the value of domestic tournaments despite its growth.

There has been ongoing discussion about the IPL's influence on Indian cricket. The T20 tournament has produced numerous star players like Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya for the national cricket team. Some domestic cricketers have expressed concern over the non-selection of consistent performers.

Domestic Cricket Is The Backbone Of Our International Cricket - Rohit Sharma

At the post-match press conference, Rohit Sharma said that domestic tournaments like the Ranji Trophy are key for developing young players for India. Sharma said that player selection for international cricket is based more on domestic performances than the IPL.

"That's always been our goal - to make sure that guys who are available go and play Ranji Trophy. Our domestic cricket is the backbone of our international cricket. A lot of the guys who are now representing the country have come up playing domestic cricket, so our domestic cricket is crucial for everyone. We want to make sure that it stays competitive," Rohit said.

"We get players from our domestic circuit, not so much from IPL. When you choose players for Test and ODI cricket, a lot of discussion happens on who is doing well in Ranji Trophy, one-day format, Syed Mushtaq Ali and stuff like that," the Indian captain added.

India lost the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka 2-0. The Men in Blue suffered a 110-run loss in a do-or-die match in Colombo on August 7. The Indian batters failed to put up a fight against the Sri Lankan spinners throughout the series. The visiting team’s batting order collapsed in all three games.

The series against Sri Lanka was the first ODI assignment for Gautam Gambhir as India’s head coach. They did not start well, with the first game ending in a tie and the Men in Blue losing the second match by 32 runs. It is worth mentioning that this was India’s first bilateral ODI series defeat to Sri Lanka since 1997.

IPL Is Also Our Cricket - Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma added that Indian Premier League performances are also considered, alongside performances in domestic tournaments, in selection for the national team.

"IPL is, of course, one format where the challenges are different. It's a competition of both. IPL is also our cricket - it's Indian Premier League. At the end of the day, whoever does well in all of these tournaments eventually will get picked up," Rohit further added.

Rohit Sharma will be next seen in action during the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh at home, starting on September 19. The series is part of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle. The team hopes to win the Test series to boost their chances of reaching the WTC final next year.

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