Reports: BCCI instructs Ishant Sharma and Ravi Ashwin to skip the upcoming Ranji Trophy clashes

Virat Kohli-led Team India is in line to start its third most important and challenging overseas tour of the year, where they would be battling out with the Aussies in 3 T20Is, 4 Tests and 3 ODIs, starting 21st November. However, after the disappointing results in the Test series earlier this year against South Africa and England, the Indian team would surely be looking to achieve some positive results in the all-important four-match Test series. Thus, keeping in mind the series, the BCCI has asked Test specialist bowlers, Ishant Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin to skip their upcoming Ranji Trophy assignments.

The Tim Paine-led Australian side will be playing its first Test series at home after the infamous ball-tampering incident that took place earlier this year in South Africa. The first Test match is scheduled to be played from December 6 at the Adelaide Oval while the second Test starts December 14. The third is a Boxing Day Test, the fourth and final match of the series will be played from January 3, 2019.

Ashwin and Ishant need to be preserved

As per a Times of India report, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has asked the Test cricketers, Ishant Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin to sit out of the upcoming Ranji Trophy matches for their respective teams. It is a move to manage their workload before the important tour of Australia. Both Ishant and Ashwin will be bowling a lot there, while Ishant will be leading the pace attack, the latter might be the only spinner who plays.

“Ishant and Ashwin are experienced bowlers and they need to be preserved. Shami wanted some game time but Ishant is looked at someone who has to do a lot of bowling in Australia,” a BCCI official was quoted as saying.

Ishant took the field for Delhi in the season opener and picked up four wickets against Himachal Pradesh. Another pacer who is part of the Test team and active in the Ranji circuit Bengal’s Mohammed Shami has also been asked by the BCCI to bowl a maximum of 15 overs per innings in the upcoming game against Kerala.

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