As per the latest rule change from the BCCI, former Indian coach Madan Lal believes that Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan had to have participated in the Ranji Trophy matches in order to prevent their removal from the yearly central contract list.
Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan, two Indian batters, have been in the headlines recently due to their removal off the BCCI central contracts list for the 2023–24 season. They both paid the price for not following the board’s instructions to participate in domestic cricket.
Shreyas and Kishan were left out of the current Ranji season since they did not play for either India or their respective states, Mumbai and Jharkhand.
After the second Test of the current series against England, Iyer was left out of the Indian squad, while Kishan withdrew from the tour of South Africa last year, citing mental fatigue.
No one is bigger than the game – Madan Lal on Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan’s exclusion
Madan Lal praised the BCCI’s instruction for players to play first-class cricket in an interview with TOI, stating:
“If the BCCI told them to play first-class cricket, they should have gone and played. No one is bigger than the game. The BCCI should be given the credit as they are making it mandatory to play first-class cricket,”
“Most of the players nowadays are taking first-class cricket for granted because of the IPL. Definitely, the BCCI made a rule that every player should go and play first-class cricket. So if you don’t follow the rules, then they have to take some action and set an example for others,” he added.
The BCCI making sure that the boys are disciplined- Madan Lal
“They have to play (first-class cricket) if they are fit. The main thing is fitness. If they are fit, then they can play the first-class season. But a good season in IPL can always be beneficial, and there is no doubt about their class. They have done so well here and there. But it is the BCCI making sure that the boys are disciplined,” said Madan Lal.
“It is true that players like Sarfaraz and Jurel are coming. But Kishan and Shreyas here have done well. It’s not that they are there without the performances. But the good thing is that we have a bench strength to replace them. And it’s very, very important to have team B as well as discipline within the team if we want to produce a better result,” concluded Madan Lal.
In the current England series, Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan, Rajat Patidar, and Akash Deep were among Team India’s Test debutantes. With one game remaining in the five-match series, they had taken an unassailable 3-1 lead, demonstrating their untouchable home record.