India captain Rohit Sharma appeared less than pleased with the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) newly issued guidelines on travel, family presence, and private staff accompanying players on tours.
Speaking informally with Ajit Agarkar before a media conference announcing India’s squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy, Rohit remarked, “I need to sit with the secretary (Devjit Saikia) and discuss.” The brief exchange has since gone viral on social media.
When directly asked about the guidelines during the conference, Rohit side-stepped the query, questioning their authenticity.
“Who told you about this? Has it come from the official end? Has it come officially?” he asked, deflecting further discussion.
The guidelines, reportedly circulated among media outlets, place restrictions on players bringing family members and personal staff on tours. They also mandate player participation in domestic cricket and require the use of official team vehicles for travel.
These measures come after reports from the recent Australia tour suggested some senior players had independently arranged their travel.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar expressed a more accepting stance.
“I think we’ll probably talk about it endlessly if we keep going on. I suppose every team has some rules in place. It’s not a school. It’s not a punishment,” Agarkar stated. He emphasized that such rules are inherent to representing the country.
“When you’re playing for the national team, you just follow those rules. These are mature individuals, superstars in their own right, but at the end of the day, you’re representing your country. Certain things are just inherently followed,” Agarkar added.
Although the guidelines have yet to be officially announced by the BCCI or posted on its verified channels, their circulation aligns with the recent review meeting analyzing performances in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). Agarkar noted that many of these rules are not new but have been refined over time.
“You keep on refining it as you go along,” Agarkar said. “Maybe we’ve spoken about it now and it’s been put out, but a lot of them have been in place in any case.”
The mixed reactions from Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar highlight the differing perspectives within the team management, as the BCCI continues to balance discipline with player autonomy.