Jay Shah clarified that Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were excluded from central contracts for skipping domestic matches, with Ajit Agarkar making the decision.
The BCCI confirmed that Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were not offered central contracts due to their limited participation in domestic cricket. BCCI secretary Jay Shah clarified that the decision to exclude them was made solely by the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar.
Both Iyer and Kishan missed Ranji Trophy matches despite BCCI directives to prioritise domestic tournaments. Kishan took a lengthy break after the November 2023 T20I series against Australia, while Iyer played a few matches for Mumbai, including the semi-finals and finals. However, his participation in a Kolkata Knight Riders camp during his team’s Ranji Trophy match raised concerns with the BCCI.
“You can check the constitution. I am just a convener. That decision lies with Ajit Agarkar; even when these two players (Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer) did not play domestic (cricket), the decision to drop them from the central contract list was only his. Yes, I had spoken with them. The media had even carried the reports,” said Shah during a media interaction at the BCCI head office in Mumbai on Thursday.
Shah emphasised that domestic cricket remains a priority for the BCCI. “My role is just to implement. And we have got new players in place, like Sanju (Samson). Nobody is indispensable,” remarked Shah.
ALSO READ | ‘You Remember Hardik Pandya…’: Aakash Chopra Points MI Skipper’s Absence For Gujarat Titans’ Poor Run in IPL
Shah also revealed that he had conversations with both Iyer and Kishan after their exclusion. He further mentioned Hardik Pandya’s willingness to play in domestic white-ball tournaments in the future. “Even Hardik (Pandya) said if BCCI is considering me for white-ball, then I am ready to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Any player will have to play; even if they do not want to, they will have to,” Shah concluded.
Last Updated on May 10, 2024
