India cricketers Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan are facing the prospect of being removed from the BCCI Central Contracts for not participating in the Ranji Trophy. In the previous year, Iyer was categorized under Grade B of the central contract list, earning INR 3 crore annually, while Ishan was placed in Grade C, earning INR 1 crore annually. Reports suggest that the BCCI has finalized the list of new contracts for players, and Iyer and Ishan are likely to lose their place due to their refusal to engage in domestic cricket.
The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has reportedly completed the contracts for the 2023-24 season. According to sources, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan may be excluded for failing to comply with BCCI’s directives regarding domestic cricket participation.
Challenges Faced by Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer
Kishan has been absent from cricket since leaving the South Africa tour due to mental fatigue, while Shreyas Iyer was dropped after facing performance issues in the first two Tests against England. Iyer had informed the Mumbai Cricket Association about being unavailable due to back spasms. However, this claim was contradicted when Nitin Patel, the head of sports science and medicine at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, informed the BCCI that Iyer had no injury concerns and was fit to play.
A source close to Iyer mentioned that the batsman was excluded from India’s squad for the last three Tests against England due to a back problem. Despite his performance in the ODI World Cup in India the previous year, where he was one of India’s top-performing batsmen, his absence from Ranji matches might impact his central contract.
The BCCI’s decision reflects its emphasis on players’ participation in domestic cricket as a criterion for central contracts, underlining the importance of nurturing talent and maintaining a strong domestic cricket structure in India.
Also, do read: Latest: Joe Root’s Century Rescues England in 4th Test Against India
