Virat Kohli and KL Rahul ruled out of next round of Ranji Trophy due to THIS reason.

New Delhi: Virat Kohli and KL Rahul will not be participating in the upcoming matches of the Ranji Trophy, set to begin on January 23. Both players have completed their white-ball tournaments, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Kohli is currently dealing with neck pain, a lingering issue from the Sydney Test against Australia, for which he received treatment on January 8. Rahul is sidelined with an elbow injury, ruling him out of Karnataka's upcoming match against Punjab.

The absence of Kohli and Rahul has furthered the debate about the batting depth in the Indian team, especially after the recent debacle against Australia. The head coach, Gautam Gambhir, has always stressed that senior players should play in the domestic red-ball competition, and this is a critical juncture for the Indian batting lineup as they prepare for the England tour in June.

Although Kohli and Rahul are not playing, many big names are expected to feature in the tournament. Shubman Gill from Punjab, Rishabh Pant from Delhi, and Ravindra Jadeja from Saurashtra are confirmed to play. The situation surrounding Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma remains uncertain, adding to the intrigue as the tournament progresses.

As the Board of Control for Cricket in India is all set to announce the Champions Trophy squad on January 18, then the Board will reveal its verdict on Jasprit Bumrah’s injury status and all other key positions. India’s strategy will depend on the decision of the BCCI as they head into a series of T20Is and ODIs against England before the event of the ICC.