Aakash Chopra urges selectors to warn players who are skipping domestic cricket

Cricket expert and commentator Aakash Chopra wants a strong message to be sent to those cricket players who are skipping the domestic season for IPL 2024. Emphasizing the importance of first-class cricket, he urged Indian selectors to give a strict warning to such players who are fit but willingly not playing domestic cricket. Aakash Chopra urged the youngsters to follow in the footsteps of their seniors, like Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, who are dedicatedly representing their teams in domestic cricket despite being out of the national team since the WTC 2023 final, whereas youngsters are skipping domestic cricket thinking that their IPL performance is enough for their national team selection.

“I am hearing that a lot of youngsters are not playing. They don’t play at all because their names have already come in the IPL. People have started thinking that they would be selected if they do well in the IPL, which is not a good thing, because Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are still playing,”
Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube video

According to his opinion, players should be improving their batting skills by playing domestic cricket, as this is the best way to secure their names in the national team, but a lot of youngsters are now focusing on the IPL, which is not a good thing. Some reports claim that the BCCI has issued a mandate to all the non-national players to participate in the forthcoming domestic tournament. This mandate came after India’s left-handed batter, Ishan Kishan, was reportedly absent from selection for his state team, Jharkhand.

If first-class cricket is happening and if you are fit and are not part of the Indian team, go and play. If someone feels that he will return without playing, a strong message has to be sent that you will only be considered when you go and play. If you feel you will only play the IPL and play all cricket based on that, I am expecting the selection committee under Ajit Agarkar’s leadership to put that line in the sand, that it’s not going to happen. If this is being imposed, please do it even more,”
Aakash Chopra added