He was speaking after the BCCI warned that players would face "severe consequences" if they skipped Tests and domestic matches to be ready for the IPL
India captain Rohit Sharma has said that players who demonstrate a desire to play Test cricket will be given priority during selection. This puts the spotlight on Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan, who have been part of recent India Test squads but have missed Ranji Trophy matches since being left out.
Rohit commented following BCCI Secretary Jay Shah's warning to players that skipping Test matches and domestic games to prepare for the IPL would result in severe consequences.
Kishan was initially selected for India's Test squad in South Africa earlier this year but withdrew due to personal reasons. He has not played any competitive cricket since then and did not participate in any of Jharkhand's Ranji matches this season. Currently, he is scheduled to play in the DY Patil T20 tournament, a corporate event used by players to prepare for the IPL, on Tuesday as a member of the Reserve Bank of India's team.
Iyer featured in the initial two Tests against England but was excluded from the squad for the subsequent two. He withdrew from Mumbai's Ranji quarter-final against Baroda due to a back issue. Currently, he is set to participate in the DY Patil T20 tournament representing Bharat Petrochemical Ltd.
Rohit did not mention any specific players when he raised concerns about hunger for Test cricket. He pointed out that all the players in and around the Test squad have the drive for the format, but warned that any player who misses matches should be aware that those who take their place and perform well will be favoured in the event of a selection debate. The Tests against England have showcased several impressive performances from young debutants, such as Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Akash Deep, and Rajat Patidar.
After India won the fourth Test against England in Ranchi, Rohit said:
"IPL is for us no doubt a good format. But Test cricket is the most difficult format: to achieve success and perform here is not so easy," he said. "We have seen in these four Tests we have played, the three wins we got were not easy. We had to work hard, batsmen had to spend ample time in the middle, bowlers had to deliver longer spells. So this is a format that involves hard work."
India has been missing several senior players throughout the England series, either for parts of it or the entirety. Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami have not featured at all, while KL Rahul has been out since the end of the first Test due to a quadriceps injury. Ravindra Jadeja missed the second Test due to a hamstring injury, R Ashwin missed a significant part of the third Test due to a family emergency, and Jasprit Bumrah was rested for the fourth Test.
In the absence of these players, the young players stepped up and made history. India's three victories in this series are among the top six when it comes to being out-numbered by the opposition's Test caps.