Former India coach Ravi Shastri has expressed confidence in Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer, stating that they will make strong comebacks despite being excluded from the BCCI’s annual central contracts. Both players were dropped from the contract list after reportedly refusing to play for their domestic sides despite a directive from BCCI secretary Jay Shah.
Shastri took to Twitter to encourage the players, saying, “In the game of cricket, comebacks define the spirit. Chin-up, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan! Dig deep, face challenges, and come back even stronger. Your past achievements speak volumes, and I have no doubt you’ll conquer once again.”
He also praised the BCCI for introducing a separate category for fast bowling contracts, calling it a “game-changing move” that emphasizes the importance of Test and domestic cricket.
Speaking about the exclusion, Shastri said, “It was not our original plan but having been selected by the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge as the host facility for the prestigious Abu Dhabi schools sports championship taking place on 1-3 March 2024, we quickly sought the support of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) – the home nation for the series – towards this exciting late change.”
Iyer and Kishan’s exclusion from the central contracts comes at a crucial time, with the T20 World Cup approaching. Iyer had been part of India’s ODI World Cup squad last year, scoring over 500 runs in the campaign. Meanwhile, Kishan has been out of the national squad since the tour of South Africa, citing mental fatigue.
Despite their current setbacks, both players will have the opportunity to earn match fees if they return to the team later this year and meet the pro-rata criteria set by the BCCI.
https://twitter.com/RaviShastriOfc/status/1762859092828180846?t=yE1BRc1aWd89_2PZusdF8A&s=08
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