In a significant shake-up of its central contracts, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made the bold decision to exclude prominent cricketers Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer. This move has ignited widespread discussion within the cricketing fraternity, highlighting the BCCI’s intensified focus on bolstering domestic cricket.
Kishan and Iyer’s removal from the central contract list comes after their notable absence from the Ranji Trophy, India’s paramount domestic first-class championship. Insider sources reveal that the selectors were notably disconcerted by the pair’s non-participation in the tournament, which is considered a crucial barometer for national team selection.
Jay Shah, the Secretary of the BCCI, recently reinforced the critical importance of domestic competitions in developing players under international contracts. This principle is a key consideration for selectors, who mandate active engagement in domestic cricket as a prerequisite for national team consideration.
The omission of Iyer has been met with particular attention, amidst varying reports about his fitness. Although initially excused from Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy lineup due to back spasms, Iyer’s subsequent involvement in a pre-season camp with his IPL team, the Kolkata Knight Riders, has sparked debate and conjecture.
As for Kishan, questions about his commitment arose following his request for an extended break from the Indian team, prioritizing rest over participation in domestic cricket. This choice has led to inquiries about his dedication to advancing his cricketing career.
While the potential of both Kishan and Iyer is undisputed, a source from the BCCI emphasized the necessity of commitment to domestic cricket. “The ability of the players is not in question,” stated the source. “However, their apparent reluctance to engage in domestic cricket outside of their international commitments has raised concerns. They must demonstrate their commitment to domestic cricket to be considered for national selection again.”
This decisive action by the BCCI underscores the imperative of domestic performance in the selection process. With Kishan and Iyer’s future in question, the cricketing community awaits to see if they will respond to the BCCI’s call to prioritize domestic cricket, potentially securing their return to the central contracts list and reaffirming their eligibility for the national team.
BCCI Annual Player Contracts for Team India (Senior Men) for the 2023-24 season:
Here are the BCCI Central Contract players with categories:
| Grade | Players |
|---|---|
| A+ | Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja |
| A | R Ashwin, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya |
| B | Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Yashasvi Jaiswal |
| C | Rinku Singh, Tilak Verma, Ruturaj Gaekwad, Shardul Thakur, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Jitesh Sharma, Washington Sundar, Mukesh Kumar, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, KS Bharat, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Rajat Patidar, Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan |
| Fast Bowling Contracts | Akash Deep, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal, Vidwath Kaverappa |
Please note: Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were not considered for the annual contracts in this round of recommendations.
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