Dhawal Kulkarni Emphasizes Importance of Domestic Cricket for Test Aspirations
Former India pacer Dhawal Kulkarni has underscored the paramount importance of domestic cricket for aspiring Test cricketers. Kulkarni, who retired last season after an illustrious 18-year domestic career, believes that consistent performances in domestic red-ball competitions are crucial for Test selection.
“Playing domestic cricket is very important if you want to play Test cricket for India,” Kulkarni asserted. “It is not easy to perform consistently in domestic cricket, but it is essential for Test aspirations.”
Kulkarni highlighted the value of domestic cricket in providing players with a deep understanding of conditions and the challenges of playing in different environments. “You get the idea of conditions in domestic cricket,” he explained. “There is no option other than domestic cricket to play Test.”
While acknowledging the importance of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Kulkarni emphasized that domestic cricket should take precedence for players aiming to represent India in Test matches. “IPL is also important, but I give more importance to domestic cricket,” he said.
Reflecting on his own career, Kulkarni expressed satisfaction with his achievements, which include five Ranji Trophy titles with Mumbai. He retired last season to make way for younger fast bowlers in the Mumbai team.
“I planned to retire well in advance last season,” Kulkarni said. “I thought this was the right time for them [young fast bowlers] to come into the team and perform.”
Kulkarni’s retirement coincided with Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy triumph, a fitting end to his illustrious domestic career. “I bagged the first and last wicket in that match, so it was a proper send-off for me,” he said.
