Yuvraj Singh's Message to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli: 'If you're not injured, prioritize Ranji Trophy'

India's next Test series is still five months away, but the anticipation has already started as speculations swirl around whether Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will participate in the ongoing Ranji Trophy. Both players have yet to confirm their availability for the next round of Ranji matches, while rising stars like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Rishabh Pant have already committed to playing. With concerns over Rohit and Kohli's recent form, lack of runs, and uncertain futures, it seems almost imperative for these two stalwarts of Indian cricket to make a comeback to domestic cricket and bolster their cases for a spot in the national team.

While Rohit has linked up with the Mumbai team to train, the DDCA is yet to hear back from Kohli. With time running out, former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has stressed the importance of playing domestic cricket, serving as a reminder to out-of-form Rohit and Kohli. Yuvraj, who played a reasonable amount of cricket with both, winning the 2007 T20 World Cup with Rohit and the 2011 World Cup with Kohli, reckons that irrespective of a player's stature, he/she should prioritise domestic cricket whenever possible.

"It is very important to play domestic cricket. Everyone should play domestic cricket if they are not injured and if they have the time," said Yuvraj on the sidelines of an event when asked if Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should play in the Ranji Trophy, though the next Test is some time away.

Rohit, Kohli and Bumrah are the only three to stay away from domestic cricket

Barring Rohit, Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, almost all members of the Indian cricket team have played some form of domestic cricket. Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shreyas Iyer have all had decent hitouts in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophies.

An injured Mohammed Shami bowled for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy and SMAT to attain full fitness and make a comeback into the Indian side for the England T20Is. Even the discarded Ishan Kishan turned up to play in the Buchi Babu Tournament, while youngsters Sarfaraz Khan, Gill and more took part in the Duleep Trophy a couple of months back.

Yuvraj himself returned to playing domestic cricket for Punjab during the 2014-15 season when he was out of the team. In seven matches, Yuvraj scored 671 runs with three centuries, which helped him regain his form and the confidence needed to make a comeback in the Indian team. He was drafted into India's limited-overs squad for Australia in 2016 and played in the T20 World Cup the same year.

Rohit last played in the Ranji Trophy in 2015, while Kohli's dates to 2012.

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