Rishabh Pant set to play for Delhi in Ranji Trophy game against Saurashtra

Rishabh Pant confirms availability for Delhi's next Ranji Trophy game; BCCI urges top cricketers to participate in domestic cricket.

Rishabh Pant has confirmed his availability for Delhi’s next Ranji Trophy game against Saurashtra in Rajkot from January 23 to 26. Pant, 27, hasn’t played for Delhi in India’s premier domestic First-Class competition since leading the side in the 2017-18 final against Vidarbha in Indore that the latter won.

“Pant is available for the next Ranji game. He will join the Delhi team directly in Rajkot,” Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) president Rohan Jaitley told The Hindu on Tuesday night.

The news comes after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) advised top cricketers to participate in the Ranji Trophy following India’s 3-1 loss to Australia in the five-Test series Down Under. Virat Kohli is also among Delhi’s probables for the upcoming fixture, but it is understood that there has been no communication from the star batter yet regarding his availability. The Ranji Trophy is resuming after a two-month gap in which the white-ball tournaments were held.  

On Tuesday, Rohit Sharma trained with the Mumbai team ahead of its clash against Jammu and Kashmir at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy. While it is uncertain if Rohit will play the match, fellow opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has made himself available. Shubman Gill is also available for Punjab, which faces Karnataka at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Pant played all five Tests in Australia, scoring 255 runs at an average of 28.33. Having been excluded from India’s five-match T20I series against England, scheduled from January 22 to February 2, the wicketkeeper-batter will look to make an impact for Delhi.

After India’s loss in the final Test in Australia, coach Gautam Gambhir urged players to be available for domestic cricket.

“I would always like everyone to play domestic cricket,” Gambhir had said. “That is how much importance domestic cricket needs to be given. Not only one game. If they’re available and they have the commitment to play red-ball cricket, everyone should play domestic cricket. As simple as it can get. If you don’t give importance to domestic cricket, you will never get the desired players what you want in Test cricket.”