India SL Test Series: No Pujara & Rahane in SL series – It’s final, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane will not be considered for the Sri Lanka series. The reason, the selectors and the BCCI wanted them to play domestic. On Wednesday, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly confirmed that the veteran duo will be playing Ranji Trophy and he wished that they score “a lot of runs”.
“Yeah, they are very good players. Hopefully, they will go back to Ranji Trophy and score a lot of runs, which I am sure they will. I don’t see any problem for them to go back to domestic cricket after playing so much international cricket,” Sourav Ganguly told Sportstar.
India SL Test Series: It’s final, Cheteshwar Pujara & Ajinkya Rahane ‘not to be considered for Sri Lanka test series’, will play Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy starts on February 10 and the 1st Test against Sri Lanka is from February 25. That means Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane will not be seen in the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka.
“So, they, too, will go back there and perform. They have played the tournament in the past when they were only playing Test cricket and were not part of the ODI or limited-overs team. So, that won’t be a problem,” Sourav Ganguly said.
Rahane and Pujara have endured a poor run of form. In the 1-2 loss in the South Africa series, they scored 136 and 135 runs respectively in six innings, less than extras (136 runs) India received from the host team.
India SL Test Series: It’s final, Cheteshwar Pujara & Ajinkya Rahane ‘not to be considered for Sri Lanka test series’, will play Ranji Trophy
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However, instead of ruling them out completely and shutting the door on their return, the selectors wanted them to find form. InsideSport reported that they would be asked to play in the domestic, get their forms back and then compete with the others to make a comeback.
“We will sit with Rahul and the next captain on the transition plan after the South Africa series. But the doors will not be closed for them. We will advise them to go back to domestic cricket and regain their form and then try to make a comeback,” a source close to the development told InsideSport.
India SL Test Series: It’s final, Cheteshwar Pujara & Ajinkya Rahane ‘not to be considered for Sri Lanka test series’, will play Ranji Trophy
India Tour of SA: Pujara and Rahane’s dwindling numbers in Test
- In the last 12 months, Cheteshwar Pujara has averaged just 24.08 in 14 matches.
- He has no centuries since 2019 January.
- Ajinkya Rahane has averaged just 20.00 in the last 12 months, playing 13 matches.
- He has scored only three half-centuries with 10 single-digit scores.
- Rahane and Pujara scored 136 and 124 runs each in the Test series against SA while India received 136 runs in extras.
With the duo under pressure to hold on to their spots in the Test side, the resumption of the Ranji Trophy comes at the right time ahead of the two Tests against Sri Lanka.
India SL Test Series: It’s final, Cheteshwar Pujara & Ajinkya Rahane ‘not to be considered for Sri Lanka test series’, will play Ranji Trophy
“Ranji Trophy is a huge tournament, and we have all played the tournament. So, they, too, will go back there and perform. They have played the tournament in the past when they were only playing Test cricket and were not part of the ODI or limited-overs team. So, that won’t be a problem,” added Ganguly, the former India captain.
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