Virat Kohli Uncertain; Hardik Pandya Follows Rohit Sharma, Set to Follow BCCI's Diktat

The Board of Control of Cricket in India specifically asked Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to play domestic cricket regularly to stay fit. For the unversed, the two icons of Indian cricket are only actively playing ODI cricket as they have retired from the other two formats. Following BCCI's order, Rohit confirmed his availability for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy. Now, hours later it is understood that allrounder Hardik Pandya, who plays white-ball cricket for the country and not Tests has also decided to play for his state side in domestic cricket. Pandya would be playing the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Baroda. But while Rohit and Pandya have confirmed their availability, Kohli's participation still remains uncertain. It is reported that Kohli is in London. 

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What's Next For Hardik? 

The allrounder picked up an injury during the Asia Cup for which he missed the final against Pakistan. Pandya was then in rehabilitation in Bengaluru's BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE). It is believed that if he recovers well in time, he could feature in Baroda's SMAT match with Hyderabad on November 26. Once that happens, he would get a little match-practice under his belt and then could end up playing the three-match ODI series against South Africa. The ODI series against SA starts on November 30. But for all that to happen, he would first need to get a Return to Play (RTP) clearance from the CoE. 

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What About Kohli? 

There is little to no clarity on Kohli. The former India captain has reportedly been contacted by the BCCI, but they are yet to receive any clarity on his front. Kohli featured in the three-match ODI series in Australia recently.