Virat Kohli refuses to play Vijay Hazare Trophy amid growing uncertainty over his…

Despite head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar's advice, Virat Kohli is unwilling to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy as per a source.

New Delhi: Rising tension in the Indian dressing room over Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s futures are being handled has added more pressure to the situation. With the BCCI making domestic appearances compulsory for all players, Kohli’s decision to skip the Vijay Hazare Trophy has put both the selectors and the team management in a tough spot.

As per a report from NDTV Rohit Sharma has already informed the BCCI selectors of his availability for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy, while Kohli has declined to take part in the domestic one-day competition.

Virat Kohli has put BCCI in a difficult position

Kohli’s approach is quite different from Rohit’s, who seems eager to play for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and had also made himself available for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament to keep himself match-ready. Kohli, meanwhile, is said to feel that he doesn’t need “too much preparation.” This has put the BCCI in a difficult position, as they are not inclined to make exceptions for any player even someone as big as Virat Kohli.

“The issue is with the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He (Kohli) simply doesn’t want to play. When Rohit [Sharma] is also playing, how can there be an exception for one player? And what do we tell the other players? That someone is different from all of you?” the source told NDTV.

BCCI and Gambhir have encouraged all players to play domestic cricket

The BCCI selectors and head coach Gautam Gambhir have repeatedly encouraged all available players to take part in domestic cricket. It was actually the board’s firm stance that prompted both Rohit and Kohli to feature in the Ranji Trophy after their disappointing performance in Test series against Australia.

Following the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi, Kohli suggested that he would lean on the solid foundation he has built over the years and concentrate exclusively on playing one-day internationals for India.

“I’ve never been a believer in a lot of prep. All my cricket has been mental. I work physically very hard, as long as my fitness levels are up, and then you visualise batting and feeling well, it’s good,” Kohli had said during the post-match presentation ceremony.

Sources say the BCCI has sent national selector Pragyan Ojha to Raipur, where the second ODI between India and South Africa is scheduled to be played, to help resolve the growing tensions between Kohli and Gambhir.