With 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in Focus, Will Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli Skip Ranji Trophy Later This Month?

With the Champions Trophy beckoning, there are speculations that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli may skip Ranji games later this month. This could be the case despite India coach highlighting the importance of playing domestic cricket. Senior cricketers like Rohit and Kohli have usually skipped domestic games because of the packed calendar. Now, former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif has also spoken on this and claimed that reckons the two senior cricketers may miss the Ranji games later this month. Kaif also admitted that this does not help in building a Test team that can end up winning the World Test Championship title. Making a bold statement, Kaif said the focus will be the Champions Trophy and once they beat Pakistan on February 23, everybody will again start celebrating these same cricketers who were beaten 3-1 by Australia. 

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‘We are just white-ball bullies’

"On 23rd February India will earn a lot of praise by beating Pakistan (in Champions Trophy) and everyone will say we are a champion team in white-ball cricket. But if India want to team the World Test Championship then we will have to make a Test match team, will have to learn to play on seaming tracks. The truth is that we are just white-ball bullies. We are lagging too far behind. If we have to win WTC, then players will have to play domestic cricket on turning tracks, will have to practice on seaming tracks, otherwise we will not be able to win," he said in a video posted on his social media page.

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CT 25 PREVIEW

India would be playing all their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai after the Pakistan Cricket Board agreed to the ‘hybrid’ model. The Champions Trophy is set to start from February 19 and India play their tournament opener against Bangladesh in Dubai.