Former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly has weighed in on the recent controversy surrounding Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer’s exclusion from the BCCI central contracts due to their decision to skip Ranji Trophy matches. Ganguly, who is currently the Director of Cricket for the Delhi Capitals, has suggested that BCCI officials, including Jay Shah, Roger Binny, and the selectors, should speak to Ishan Kishan to understand his perspective.
In an interview with The Times of India, Ganguly emphasized the importance of playing domestic tournaments like the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He pointed out that all players picked for Delhi Capitals have participated in these tournaments, highlighting the need for a conversation with Kishan to ensure his commitment to domestic cricket.
“For someone like Ishan Kishan, BCCI secretary Jay Shah, president Roger Binny, and the selectors need to speak to him. All this while he has played Ranji and then played white-ball cricket. Has it made him a poorer player? It hasn’t,” Ganguly said.
Ganguly’s comments come after both Kishan and Iyer were left out of the BCCI central contracts for failing to adhere to specific instructions from the board. While Iyer has since returned to playing Ranji Trophy cricket for Mumbai, Kishan is set to participate in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“All the players picked in Delhi Capitals have played Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Ranji Trophy. Even Ishant Sharma has played Ranji,” Ganguly added, highlighting the importance of domestic cricket in the development of players.
Iyer, who was part of Grade B in the previous list of central contracts, played in the first two Tests of the ongoing series against England before being excluded from the squad. On the other hand, Kishan, who was in Grade C, last played for India in November in the T20I series against Australia.
Ganguly also hinted at the possibility of Kishan playing solely as a batsman under the ‘Impact Player’ rule in the initial phase of the IPL, indicating that the Delhi Capitals are taking a cautious approach with his fitness.
“As for wicketkeeping options, there’s Kumar Kushagra. Ricky Bhui has had a very good season. There is Shai Hope and Tristan Stubbs,” Ganguly added, emphasizing the depth in the Delhi Capitals squad.
The 2024 season of the IPL is set to begin on March 22, and the BCCI has so far finalized fixtures for the first 21 matches to be played till March 7, with the remaining fixtures to be decided after the government announces the dates of the general elections.
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