Last Updated:
The subpar showing from stars such as Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jasiwal and more, coupled with the seemingly callous attitude with which they selectively play games were factors that enraged Patil.
Rohit Sharma for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy (X)
Mumbai chief selector Sanjay Patil expressed his despair with the soulless showing from all the international stars for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, and has requested the BCCI and national selection panel to personally monitor international cricketers’ performance when they are forced to turn up in domestic cricket.
After the disastrous outing down under in the Border-Gavaskar series, multiple Indian stars, including the likes of Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal opted to play for Mumbai in the penultimate league round of the Ranji Trophy – a clash they lost against Jammu & Kashmir, with both Mumbai stars failing to fire.
Following the same, India’s T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav and all-rounder Shivam Dube came into the Mumbai side for their quarterfinal against Haryana and the semifinal against Vidarbha, with Jaiswal returning home on the eve of the final-four clash.
“The legacy of Mumbai cricket – especially when it comes to international stars’ involvement in Mumbai cricket – was not at all seen and it needs to be fixed,” Patil said in a talk with Sportstar following Mumbai’s semifinal exit in the Ranji Trophy.
“I have a request for the association to make sure the international stars are made aware of it.”
“All of them should have been monitored by the Indian national selection committee. If you see, all of them only participated, but didn’t really perform. And it reflects in their team’s performance.”
The subpar showing from all the stars — Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jasiwal, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shivam Dube — coupled with the seemingly callous attitude with which they selectively play games were factors that enraged Patil, who expressed his displeasure scathingly.
“[I am] Very upset with the way they played [in the Ranji Trophy]. It was something that’s not expected from Test players and the so-called Indian cricketers. The kind of dedication we experienced from our seniors was never on display from the current lot. If you are joining the team and are happy only to be signing autographs, it speaks volumes about you,” Patil added in the talk with Sportstar.
“That was the biggest difference between Vidarbha and Mumbai in the semifinals. The greed and grit to win was never seen in the semifinal, or throughout since the second half of the Ranji Trophy. [I am] Totally upset with all the big players, including Suryakumar Yadav.”
Sanjay Patil, the former left-arm spinner with vast experience as a selector, stepped into the role of chairman of selectors, succeeding Raju Kulkarni, back in May 2024.
