Indian captain Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar took over two and a half hours before announcing the ODI squad for the England series and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on Saturday during a presser in Mumbai. Although several hits and misses of that announcement have made headlines all over, what stood out was Rohit’s take on BCCI’s new ten-point policy document.
In the wake of India’s horror show in the past two Test series, having lost six out of the eight contested Tests (three against New Zealand at home and as many to Australia Down Under), the BCCI, following a high-profile meeting early this week, released this policy document, with restrictions over player’s wives or partners from accompanying them throughout the away tours being one of them.
Also read | Agarkar explains Karun Nair’s snub from India’s Champions Trophy squad
Meanwhile, before the presser began, Rohit (and Agarkar), who was settling down while arranging his microphones, was caught off guard telling Agarkar about how he plans to talk to the new BCCI secretary over relaxing the rule around player’s partners’ travel restriction, as everyone’s been calling him about the same.
“I will have to sit (with BCCI officials) for one or one and a half hours after this. Will have to sit with the secretary to discuss regarding all this family and all, all are saying to me…," Rohit said to Agarkar ahead of the presser.
Watch -
Rohit Sharma on the BCCI policies:
— Kuljot (@Ro45Kuljot) January 18, 2025
"After the PC, we have to discuss family rules, all the players are calling me". 🤣
He didn't know the mic was on 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Xx7purPCp5
‘Restriction’
Per the BCCI new policy document, wives or partners can stay up to 14 days on a long tour, with that reduced to half (seven days) on the shorter ones.
Among the other mentioned policies, travelling together as a team and staying in the same hotel, unlike how a few players travelling alongside their families requested to stay elsewhere on the long tours, are included.
Also read | India squad for Champions Trophy 2025 announced; Bumrah, Shami return
“Players these days have their families around along with a big entourage. Some have even requested to stay in different hotels, and a few have made their own travel arrangements within the country. These players are barely seen with the rest of the team. The board is contemplating restricting the length of stay for families to two weeks on a lengthy tour," a BCCI source had said, as quoted by the Times of India.
Meanwhile, Rohit will lead the Indian Team for the England ODIs and in the ICC Champions Trophy starting next month.
Here is India’s Champions Trophy squad –
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja
(With inputs from agencies)