Test career uncertain, Ishant Sharma opts out of Ranji Trophy
With transition looming, team management wants to look beyond veteransNEW DELHI: It was a dramatic day at Ferozeshah Kotla on Wednesday. With the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) waiting till the last hour before having its selection meeting for the Ranji Trophy, officials, coach and selectors in the premises were bemused by Ishant Sharma going incommunicado for the last few days. Minutes before the meeting commenced, DDCA president Rohan Jaitley got through to Ishant and the veteran pacer informed that he was unwilling to play Ranji Trophy. Around 10 days ago, Ishant had told a member of the team management that he was keen to play the Ranji Trophy! Ishant's reluctance has come at a time when Indian cricket seems to be close to hitting the transition button in Test cricket. TOI understands that the team management is laying out a plan to move on from Ishant, Wriddhiman Saha, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara. While Saha had communicated to Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) that he is not available for the Ranji Trophy, DDCA waited to hear from Ishant before picking the team which is scheduled to leave for Guwahati on Thursday morning. TOI has learnt that both Saha and Ishant have been spoken to about their future by the senior members of team management and the national selectors. "They have been told that the Indian team management is looking to groom the next line of players. Their chances of playing Tests might have dropped substantially," a BCCI source told TOI.
