Out-of-favour batters Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were shown the exit door by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for ignoring the apex cricket board’s directive to feature in the Ranji Trophy on Wednesday. Shreyas Iyer and Kishan’s names went missing from the 30-player annual retainership list shared by the BCCI for the 2023-2024 season. With opinions taking flight after BCCI unveiled the list of centrally-contracted players.
For the first time, the BCCI who received the fast bowling contracts. The selection committee has been handing out fast-bowling offers to Indian pacers since the 2021-2022. Speedsters Akash Deep, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal and Vidwath Kaverappa have made the cut for the season.
Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan lose BCCI contracts
Mumbai Indians (MI) opener Ishan Kishan was given a Grade C contract last year. Kishan received a personal break from the BCCI when India toured South Africa. Kishan last played for India in November last year. However, the wicketkeeper-batter showed up to play the DY Patil T20 Cup in Mumbai. The 25-year-old did not play for Jharkhand throughout the Ranji season.
His former India teammate Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of Mumbai’s Ranji quarterfinal against Baroda. Iyer has made himself available for Mumbai’s semi-final clash with Tamil Nadu.
BCCI’s stern message to all the players post exclusion of Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan.
Sharing the media advisory ahead of the 5th and final Test against England, the BCCI advised all Indian players to represent their domestic teams when they are not on national duty. “Please note that Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were not considered for the annual contracts in this round of recommendations,” the BCCI said in a statement.
“The BCCI has recommended that all athletes give precedence to participating in domestic cricket during periods when they are not representing the national team,” the apex board added.
Mumbai’s Shreyas Iyer will lead Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Shreyas Iyer was India’s star performer at the ICC World Cup 2023. The Mumbai batter lost his Grade B contract after being released from India’s Test squad for the England series. Former Indian coach Ravi Shastri urges sensational Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan to comeback strongly post their contract dropouts and welcomed BCCI’s decision to do so.
Chin-up Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan- Ravi Shastri
Former Team India coach Ravi Shastri has called for Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer to show spirit and determination to regain their spot in the national side. Shastri’s tweet on X (formerly Twitter) came after both youngsters were omitted from the BCCI contract list announced on Wednesday, February 28.
Shreyas was axed from the Test squad after struggling in the first two matches of the ongoing five-game series against England. With the BCCI making it mandatory for players to feature in domestic cricket, reports emerged that the right-hander was faking his back injury to skip the Ranji Trophy.
Ishan, on the other hand, pulled out of the South Africa tour due to personal reasons and last played for India in November in the T20I series against Australia. The keeper-batter played in the DY Patil T20 Cup and will return to the highest level in IPL 2024.
Shastri took to his official handle on X and stated that their past achievements should lend themselves well for the future. He wrote:
“In the game of cricket, comebacks define the spirit. Chin-up, @ShreyasIyer15 and @ishankishan51! Dig deep, face challenges, and come back even stronger. Your past achievements speak volumes, and I have no doubt you’ll conquer once again.”
Aside from the four categories of contracts, the BCCI also announced fast-bowling contracts for five players: Akash Deep, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal and Vidwath Kaverappa.
Shreyas Iyer to participate in Ranji Trophy semifinal vs TamilNadu.
The BCCI’s decision to exclude Kishan and Iyer from the central contracts is yet another major step from the board towards marking the importance of participation in domestic competitions for Indian cricketers. Despite the allure of lucrative franchise leagues like the IPL, the board had been emphasizing the significance of representing one’s state team in tournaments like the Ranji Trophy.
Shreyas Iyer will be participating in domestic cricket. Under scrutiny for his absence in Mumbai’s just-concluded quarterfinal against Baroda, the India middle-order batter has been named in the squad for the semifinal, scheduled to take place in Mumbai from March 2. Mumbai are set to face Tamil Nadu in the last-four clash.
Iyer’s return to domestic cricket may address some criticisms levelled against him for allegedly neglecting domestic cricket despite being declared fit by the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
Iyer’s return for the semi-final against Tamil Nadu allays any fears over recurring injury concerns. He missed the entire IPL last year and subsequently underwent back surgery . He returned to the ODI set up ahead of the Asia Cup and was a key member of India’s World Cup side that finished runners-up. Iyer made 530 runs in 11 innings, including two centuries and three half-centuries.
He is set to lead Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024, where he will team up with Chandrakant Pandit for the first time since he came on board as head coach. Knight Riders have also signed former captain Gautam Gambhir as a team mentor.