NEW DELHI: Delhi’s senior wicketkeeper-batter Anuj Rawat has joined his new IPL team, Gujarat Titans, for their pre-season training camp in Surat, raising eyebrows as the camp coincides with Delhi’s ongoing Ranji Trophy preparation at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
The Gujarat Titans, in a statement, announced the presence of players like Rawat, Ishant Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Kumar Kushagra, Mahipal Lomror, and Arshad Khan at the camp, signaling their readiness for IPL 2025.
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However, Rawat’s decision to prioritise the IPL camp over red-ball cricket has drawn criticism, especially as the BCCI has emphasised the importance of domestic cricket during the Ranji season.
DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma revealed that Rawat did not seek permission to attend the IPL camp. “I have no knowledge that Anuj has skipped the ongoing Ranji Trophy camp to attend the IPL team’s camp. Ideally, he needs to take permission from the state association. We have two Ranji games left. I don’t know who gave him the permission to skip the Ranji Trophy camp,” Sharma told PTI.
The case of veteran pacer Ishant Sharma, who also joined the Gujarat Titans camp, is different, according to the DDCA. “Ishant doesn’t need DDCA’s permission since he has retired from Ranji Trophy cricket,” Sharma clarified.
A senior DDCA official added that players are typically required to obtain written permission before participating in IPL-related activities that overlap with state cricket commitments. “We have received official email requests from some players, but I can confirm that we have received no written request from Anuj Rawat. In that case, he shouldn’t have joined the IPL camp,” a senior DDCA official told PTI.
