According to reports from the Times of India, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan are likely to lose BCCI central contracts after missing the Ranji Trophy.
India cricketers Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan risk losing their BCCI Central contracts for skipping Ranji Trophy matches. Iyer, previously in Grade B earning INR 3 Crore annually, and Kishan in Grade C earning INR 1 Crore, may be dropped from the new contract list due to their avoidance of domestic cricket.
Earlier, Ishan Kishan was absent from Jharkhand’s Ranji Trophy matches while seen practicing with Mumbai Indians’ Hardik Pandya in Baroda. Similarly, Iyer missed Mumbai’s crucial Ranji Trophy matches, citing back spasms.
However, Nitin Patel, head of sports science at the National Cricket Academy, contradicted Iyer’s claim of injury, stating his fitness in an email to the BCCI and national selectors.
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Despite the BCCI’s directive to play domestic cricket, both players have remained absent. The selectors, led by Ajit Agarkar, are on the verge of finalizing the centrally contracted players for the 2023-24 season, with exclusion looming for Kishan and Iyer, as per sources quoted by Times of India.
“The selectors, led by Ajit Agarkar, have almost finalized the list of centrally contracted players for the 2023-24 season too, which the BCCI will announce soon. Kishan and Iyer are likely to be excluded from that list, as both haven’t been playing domestic cricket despite the BCCI’s diktat to do so,” a source revealed.
ALSO READ | Ishan Kishan Fails to Comply with BCCI’s Domestic Cricket Directive, Skips Ranji Trophy Match
Earlier, BCCI secretary Jay Shah had also emphasized the necessity for centrally contracted and India A players to engage in domestic cricket if not on the national team, declaring a zero-tolerance policy towards their absence from the ongoing Ranji Trophy.
Last Updated on February 23, 2024
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