India’s recent 0-3 defeat to New Zealand on home soil has left many questioning the team’s readiness and strategy. Batting icon Sunil Gavaskar weighed in on the debate, suggesting that India’s Test regulars might have been better prepared had they participated in a few domestic matches. Gavaskar pointed out that stalwarts like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja opted out of the Duleep Trophy, held right before the Test series against Bangladesh in September.

In contrast, players like KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Sarfaraz Khan did take part. To emphasize the importance of domestic exposure, Gavaskar referenced Sachin Tendulkar’s decision in 1998 to play a warm-up match for Mumbai against the visiting Australians.

This was a key preparation move ahead of the home Test series. Former India opener Devang Gandhi echoed this sentiment, recalling how Tendulkar played in two Ranji Trophy games in the harsh April heat of 2000, right after a demanding ODI series.

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However, former chief selector MSK Prasad offered a different perspective, highlighting the relentless schedule modern players face, which now includes T20 internationals and two full months of IPL action. “It’s not like in Kapil Dev and Gavaskar’s era; the volume of cricket has increased dramatically,” MSK Prasad said, sympathizing with players who need time to rest and recharge.

Prasad also suggested that the BCCI could make the Irani Cup mandatory for top players to represent the Rest of India team, but only if it doesn’t overlap with a Test series. He further advocated for reintroducing a structured rotation policy, which he implemented as a selector from 2017 to 2021.

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“I’m not sure why the rotation system we started was dropped,” MSK Prasad remarked, adding that India didn’t necessarily need all their star players for the recent series against Bangladesh.

The conversation reflects a wider debate in Indian cricket about balancing player workload with the need for consistent match practice, especially in domestic competitions.