BCCI released the players list with the renewed central contract between the India vs England Test series. Surprisingly, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan have been excluded from the central contract. Ishan Kishan opted out from the Test series against South Africa and Iyer didn’t play the Test after the second Test match due to a back pain issue. That inclusion is speculated buzz. Harsha Bhogle penned a note on this matter.
No Iyer or Ishan in the Central Contract:
Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan, who were part of India’s ODI World Cup squad, have been excluded from the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI‘s) central retainer for 2023-24, as announced by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah. The decision was made public on Wednesday alongside the release of the list of 30 men’s cricketers. Shah mentioned that Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were not considered for the annual contracts during this round of recommendations.
Although the statement didn’t specify the reason, there’s been discontent within the BCCI administration, team management, and the selection panel regarding Ishan and Shreyas. Their reluctance to participate in the Ranji Trophy has been a point of concern. Despite directives, Ishan chose not to play in the Ranji Trophy and instead trained in Vadodara with his franchise captain Hardik Pandya after returning from India’s tour to South Africa. Similarly, Shreyas, who was dropped from India’s Test squad after the second Test against England, didn’t participate in the Ranji Trophy matches for Mumbai. However, he made himself available for Mumbai’s Ranji semifinal against Tamil Nadu.
The decisions regarding excluding Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan from the BCCI’s central retainer for the upcoming season stem from their choices regarding the Ranji Trophy. Despite being directed otherwise, Ishan opted for training over playing in the tournament, while Shreyas missed out on Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy games before making himself available for a crucial semifinal match.
Harsha Bhogle’s Words:
On this matter, Harsha Bhogle opened up. On his social media handle, he penned a long note. He wrote, “My thoughts on the central contracts. This is a very strong message to players and puts Indian cricket at the forefront. If you have red-ball ambition and want to play for India, you must go back and play domestic cricket if you are passed fit. I would like to see an equally strong stance taken at first-class cricket level.”
Then, he added, “It is entirely possible that red ball cricket isn’t where you see your future or your joy. And that you want to be a purely white ball player; In which case, you must make it clear and play Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare for the state that nurtured you through age group cricket.
“Both Shreyas and Ishan are very gifted players and I expect them to score a lot of runs and fight their way back into the national team. That is how bigger cricketers have done it, whether Ganguly or Laxman or Jadeja or Kumble. It won’t surprise me if Chahal forces his way into contention either.” Bhogle added.
Further, he said, “I like the idea of fast bowling contracts. We have to look after them and there are so many exciting prospects.”
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