Pay some attention: R Ashwin replies to fan's 'Ranji Trophy is blessed' comment after Virat Kohli's return

R Ashwin replies to fan's comment for Ranji Trophy return of Virat Kohli.

Domestic cricket is in the news and that’s a welcome development. Following the participation of the top guns including Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the last two rounds of Ranji Trophy group league games, this neglected sector of Indian cricket got media space and fans turned up in large numbers in New Delhi to welcome their superstar back to the domestic fold after 12 years.

Ravichandran Ashwin made a few observations regarding this on his YouTube channel. He complemented Kohli’s commitment to the game and said it was great to see a big turnout for such a game. After that, he made his stand clear on a comment which said that “Ranji Trophy is blessed” because players like Kohli were taking part. Ashwin took umbrage.

The off-spinner, who has retired from international cricket but remains open for the domestic grind, urged the person who made that remark to “pay attention” to the reality. What he didn’t say was that the average Indian cricket consumer has no idea what Ranji Trophy and other tournaments played away from the spotlight are like.

"I saw one tweet saying 'Ranji Trophy is blessed'. I would just say, pay some attention. Do you even know the history of the Ranji Trophy? It has been going on for so many years. It has been a premier tournament," said Ashwin.

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"Sachin Tendulkar, who is a legendary cricketer, used to play the Ranji Trophy at all times. Players benefit from playing in the tournament. For cricket, players are not important, but for players, cricket is very important," he added.

Players take these competitions seriously because they know that this is the only platform which will open the international window. They give it their best, regardless of how many are watching. The selectors follow these performances and so does the fraternity. Reputation built over this non-glamorous exercise stays for years. Those who matter remember these things.

Even the mainstream media doesn’t keep track of what goes on in these games. They react to the presence of big names and start covering these fixtures when the stars make a stray appearance. These games create a flutter which disappears soon after that game is over. The rigours off the camera, as Ashwin implied, go on. No matter if there are cameras or crows in attendance.

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It’s fair to say that there are far greater domestic inspirations than Kohli, Rohit or even Ashwin. Those who go through this understand the value of a Wasim Jaffer or Ajinkya Rahane or Karun Nair or Wriddhiman Saha. These players saw their international prospects diminish and still chose to add importance to these matches through their presence.

Players like them are the driving force of domestic cricket. The stars need this circuit to prove that they are still capable. The platform doesn’t need them. Live telecast has added value to these games. The pay is decent. Performance leads to IPL offers and national team call-ups. Blessed are those who play in this and Ashwin is right in pointing out that it’s not the other way around.