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.
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. Kolkata Knight Riders coach Chandrakant Pandit has urged Shreyas Iyer to stage a strong comeback post this contracts debacle.
Shreyas Iyer is a good performer- Chandrakant Patil
Kolkata Knight Riders coach Chandrakant Pandit has backed Shreyas Iyer to bounce back from his recent setback in international cricket. The former Indian cricketer believes the right-handed batter will be a valuable addition to the national side across formats.
The Mumbai-born batter was dropped for the remainder of the series after failing to deliver notable performances in the first two Tests against England. Furthermore, reports emerged that Iyer decided to skip the recent Ranji Trophy matches despite being fully fit.
With his decision not sitting well with the selectors, the BCCI decided to omit him from the central contracts list. However, the 29-year-old will return to the Mumbai side for the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy.
Speaking to Mid-day, Pandit gave his verdict and said:
“I will not say Shreyas must be included in a certain Grade, but he is definitely a player who can serve India in any format. He has had an injury issue, but it was solved. He is a good performer and even scored a century [105 against New Zealand in 2021 at Kanpur] on Test debut,”
In our future series, there may be some players who will not be in form, so naturally Shreyas will be there. He will play domestic cricket and can perform in the IPL. He is going to be useful for Indian cricket in any format,”
Shreyas Iyer, selected for the No.4 role in the 2023 World Cup, delivered the goods as per expectations. He finished the tournament as the third-highest run-getter for India, compiling 530 runs in 11 matches at 66.25 with two centuries and three fifties.
Shreyas Iyer could have been fitted in any Grade exclaims Chandrakant Pandit.
Reacting to the BCCI dropping Iyer from the list of contracted players, the 62-year-old stated it shouldn’t affect him a lot, but expects him to fight for his spot. Pandit added:
“It’s surprising that Shreyas was not considered for the annual contracts, because he is India’s all-format player. We don’t know the reason, but I think he should walk into the pool of India’s contracted players. He could have definitely fitted in any Grade. Knowing Shreyas, I don’t think it will affect him. He will definitely fight and perform. He has that fighting spirit,”
Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer is expected to play an important part for KKR in IPL 2024, which will commence on March 22. 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.