If two of India’s recent cricket icons have to stay in the team, they will have to go through the domestic grind.

This is the message from the Indian board for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Both stepped down from Tests and T20 Internationals in 2024, but continue to play for India in One-Day Internationals.

The first step in this direction could possibly be a Vijay Hazare Trophy game on December 24. This is the only one-day game on the domestic calendar between the three-ODI series against South Africa from December 3-9 and another one against New Zealand from January 11, both at home.

According to The Indian Express, Rohit has informed the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) that he will be available to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but there is no clarity yet on Virat’s availability. Kohli (37) and Rohit (38) last featured in the ODI series in Australia last month, where they went on to join hands for a winning partnership in the final game. While Rohit starred in two of the three games, hitting a hundred in the third match, Kohli bounced back from two ducks to hit an unbeaten 87.

“The board and team management have conveyed to both of them that they will have to play domestic cricket if they want to play for India. As they both have retired from two formats, they have to play domestic cricket to be match-fit,” sources in the board told The Indian Express.

Rohit and Kohli retired from T20Is after the 2024 World Cup, and called time on their Test careers after the 2024-25 tour of Australia.

Rohit is learnt to have informed the MCA that he might even be available for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament scheduled to start on November 26. He has been practising at Mumbai’s Sharad Pawar indoor academy. The Indian board is also hoping to see Kohli, who lives in London these days, play domestic cricket.