A diktat from the BCCI has forced the Test stars to add glitter to the second leg of the Ranji Trophy when it resumes on Thursday.
The likes of Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and Shubman Gill will turn out for their respective state teams in a huge boost to domestic cricket.
Rohit will be turning up for defending champions Mumbai after nearly a decade in a star-studded line-up which will also include Jaiswal, captain Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer and Shardul Thakur.
Mumbai will pair Rohit with Jaiswal at the top, replicating the India combination, when they will face Jammu and Kashmir in Elite Group A.
Virat Kohli though will not be available for this round and will play Delhi’s concluding league match from January 30.
Twin debuts
Under-19 cricketers Ankit Chatterjee and Vishal Bhati will be making their Ranji debut for Bengal in the crucial clash against Haryana at the Bengal Cricket Academy (BCA) ground in Kalyani.
With both senior pros Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sudip Chatterjee out with injuries, Bengal had no other option but to try a new opening combination. Spinner all-rounder Writtick Chatterjee, who was a last-minute inclusion in the squad, will be opening alongside young Ankit.