Days after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCC) opted to snub Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer for ignoring the directive to feature in the Ranji Trophy, Sachin Tendulkar highlighted the importance of playing the celebrated tournament. Serving a timely reminder for Indian Premier League-bound (IPL) youngers before the Ranji Trophy final, the former India skipper and batting legend credited the cricket board of India for prioritising domestic cricket.

Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), the Little Master shared his views about the upcoming summit clash of the Ranji Trophy. Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium will host the final of the Ranji Trophy this season, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) confirmed on Monday. A day after the announcement, Tendulkar penned a lengthy note to congratulate Mumbai on entering the final. Tendulkar also recalled his playing days in the Ranji Trophy.

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Sachin Tendulkar serves timely Ranji Trophy reminder

“The Ranji Trophy semi-finals have been riveting! @MumbaiCricAssoc’s march into the finals was aided by a brilliant batting recovery, while the other semi-final hangs in the balance going into the last day – Madhya Pradesh need 90+ runs to win, Vidarbha need 4 wickets. Throughout my career, I remained passionate about playing for Mumbai whenever I had the opportunity. Growing up, we had almost 7-8 India players in our dressing room, and it was fun to play alongside them,” Tendulkar said.

Why BCCI excluded Iyer and Kishan

Tendulkar pointed out the importance of Indian players showcasing their talent in the domestic tournaments. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Iyer did not make himself available for Mumbai’s Ranji quarterfinal match against Baroda. Though Iyer returned to the side for the semi-final, the BCCI refused to extend his central contact. The cricket board advised all India players to play domestic games when they are not on national duty while sharing the central contracts list for the 2023-24 season.

The BCCI also confirmed that Kishan was not considered for the annual contracts. The Mumbai Indians (MI) star sought a personal break when Team India toured South Africa after the 2023 World Cup. However, the wicketkeeper-batter made his return at DY Patil T20 Cup ahead of IPL 2024. Kishan didn’t play a single Ranji match for Jharkhand.

Sachin on India players turning up for domestic teams

“When India players turn up for their domestic teams, it raises the quality of play for youngsters, and sometimes new talent is identified. It also gives the national players a chance to sometimes rediscover the basics. With top-notch players participating in domestic tournaments, over a period of time, fans will also start following and supporting their domestic teams much more. Wonderful to see @BCCI give equal priority to domestic cricket,” Tendulkar added.