Bengaluru: Star batters Virat Kohli and KL Rahul are expected to miss the upcoming round of the Ranji Trophy, as both have reportedly informed the BCCI's medical team about carrying injuries. As a result, neither will be able to represent their respective state teams in the next round of the tournament, set to begin on January 23.

According to ESPNCricinfo, Kohli had neck pain and had taken an injection on January 8, three days after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy ended in Sydney. Kohli told the BCCI medical staff that he was still experiencing pain, ruling him out of Delhi's game against Saurashtra in Rajkot.

KL Rahul is still recovering from an elbow niggle and will likely miss Karnataka’s Ranji Trophy match against Punjab. He has conveyed to the BCCI medical staff his concern about the issue, and they are monitoring him currently, PTI reported.

However, both the batters have a chance to play in the season's last final round, starting on January 30.

Meanwhile, the BCCI recently unveiled a stringent set of 10-point disciplinary guidelines. They have made it compulsory for each centrally-contracted player to represent their state teams in domestic cricket to remain eligible for selection in the national team and for central contracts.

The board also stated that if any player is unavailable, he needs permission from the national chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir.

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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday accused the opposition of "unnecessarily stoking" the debate over a Dalit Chief Minister to deflect attention from governance.

He asserted that only the Congress has the commitment to elevate a Dalit leader to the top post.

Speaking to reporters here, Parameshwara said the ongoing discussion on a Dalit Chief Minister was being amplified by opposition parties.

“This is the work of the opposition. To hide their own failures, they are raising the issue of the Chief Minister. Isn’t the administration running smoothly? Isn’t the Chief Minister governing?” he asked.

The Minister noted that for the past 10–12 days, detailed budget discussions had been held across departments and governance was progressing normally.

Parameshwara, who is a Dalit, said the Congress alone had the history and political will to make a Dalit Chief Minister.

“Yes, it must be the Congress party. Who else will do it?” he said, while clarifying that the timing of any such decision would be determined by the party high command.

On Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s media statement targeting the JD(S) and invoking social justice, Parameshwara said Siddaramaiah had earlier been part of the JD(S) and even served as its president before being expelled.

He noted that the internal history of that party was best known to those within it and declined to comment on specific internal matters.

Defending the Chief Minister’s ideological position, Parameshwara said Siddaramaiah’s politics had always been rooted in social justice and that there was nothing new or opportunistic about his stance.

The Chief Minister, he said, had consistently built his political career on that foundation.