By Dravid Calls for Comprehensive Review of India’s Lengthy Domestic Season
India’s men’s head coach, Rahul Dravid, has emphasized the need for an “all-round review” of the country’s extensive domestic season, echoing recent concerns raised by players such as R Sai Kishore and Shardul Thakur.
After the Ranji Trophy semi-final in Mumbai, Shardul expressed the challenges faced by domestic players, highlighting the difficulty of playing “10 games in a row with just a three-day gap.” He called for the BCCI to reconsider the schedule and provide longer breaks. Similarly, Tamil Nadu captain Sai Kishore noted the impact of shorter gaps between games on fast bowlers and mentioned how he, as a spinner, had to manage with minimal pre-match training due to the continuous flow of matches.
Dravid, speaking after India’s 4-1 series win over England in Dharamsala, supported the players’ concerns, emphasizing the importance of listening to those who endure the demanding schedule.
“I’ve heard the same sentiments. I saw some of Shardul’s comments, and also some of the boys who have recently joined the team have mentioned how tough the domestic schedule is, especially in a country like India with extensive travel involved. So, it’s crucial to listen to the players, as they are the ones experiencing the challenges and putting their bodies on the line. If there are enough voices expressing these concerns, then we need to consider looking into it and see how we can manage our schedules,” Dravid said.
Acknowledging the toughness of the season for domestic players, Dravid suggested reassessing the necessity of certain tournaments in the current scenario.
“The Ranji Trophy is already a long season, and when you add tournaments like Duleep and Deodhar on top of that…Last year, if I remember correctly, the Duleep Trophy started in June, just a month after the IPL. The issue here is that your top players, the ones pushing for selection in the Indian team, end up playing the most cricket. They keep getting selected for the next level, playing semi-finals, and finals, which means they play a lot of cricket. Additionally, you want them to play for India and India A tours. It can become quite challenging for these players, so perhaps we need to listen to them and reassess whether some of these tournaments are necessary in the current context,” Dravid explained.
He emphasized the need for a comprehensive review involving coaches and players, especially those actively participating in the domestic circuit.
