Here's why Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were dropped from BCCI's central contract
Shreyas Iyer (R) and Ishan Kishan
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selectors were not happy with Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan making themselves unavailable for selection and hence were dropped from the list of centrally contracted players. Both Iyer and Kishan were not named in the list of 30 players who received the board's central contract on Wednesday (Feb 28). The board, in a statement, also advised the newly contracted players to participate in domestic games when not on national duty.
"The BCCI has recommended that all athletes give precedence to participating in domestic cricket during periods when they are not representing the national team," read the BCCI statement.
Also Read:BCCI drops Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan from central contract. Check full list of players
Notably, Kishan has been on personal time off since India's tour of South Africa in December 2023 and hasn't played in domestic first-class tournament Ranji trophy. He, however, has been practicing with Hardik Pandya for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. Both Pandya and Kishan play for Mumbai Indians in the IPL.
Iyer, on the other hand, most recently played for India in the first two Tests of the ongoing five-match series against England. The batter was reported to have complained about playing long innings and was dropped from the squad of the next three Tests. Iyer, although, did not appear for his Ranji side Mumbai but went to his IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders' pre-season training camp.
He had opted out of Mumbai's last Ranji fixture due to back spasms but the National Cricket Academy (NCA) had cleared him of any injury. The batter, however, will be playing Mumbai's upcoming Ranji trophy semi-final game.
)
Sadie Sink's leaked Spider-Man: Brand New Day clip fuels fresh Jean Grey speculation
)
NEET aspirant ends her life in Maharashtra after falling 11 marks short of cut-off
)
'Very unimpactful': Trump downplays Russian support for Iran, promises to 'ask Putin' about Zelensky's claims
)
'Spreading deepfakes, deleted PM Modi's video': Why Meta AI should be banned in India for interfering in Indian economy and democracy
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Delhi Police issues BIG statement on viral 'don't leave national capital without permission' notice | FACT CHECK
)
'First dumb AI': Meta AI blocks Indian PM Modi's video in his own country, allows abuse ads and deletes livelihoods without explanation
)
India avoids higher US tariff, secures lower 10% rate. Here's how
)
'Islamic Republic will never make a deal with the US': Iran deputy speaker echoes Araghchi’s remark
)
Who will benefit from Kapil Sibal's ₹1 crore legal aid fund for NEET protesters? This is what we know
)
'Broader struggle for democracy...': Greta Thunberg joins Indian students protest in London - What she said
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
Tom Cruise's daughter Suri drops his surname; adopts Katie Holmes' middle name Noelle
)
Rahul Gandhi slams BJP for felicitating Dharmendra Pradhan in Parliament, accuses Modi government of 'celebrating ruined futures'
)
China deploying advanced fighter jets closer to India's northern frontier
)
Why did Meta remove PM Modi's Facebook video on paper leaks? Tech company blames 'technical error'
)
Giant iceberg flips violently near Greenland exposing its underside - 'I didn't know they could do that'
)
ChatGPT invoked God, told pastor not to worry about his symptoms. Then pulmonary embolism hit
)
'Worst quality AI in market': Meta AI's moderation fail hits PM Modi and Indian Democracy
)
Asim Munir eyes defence deal with Qatar & Turkiye after Kuwait as Pakistan seeks investments | Gravitas
)
Earthquake of magnitude 7.1 strikes Japan's Kumamoto prefecture, tsunami warning issued
)
Woman used AI to tell court what happened the night her ex-boyfriend 'raped' her. It was a bad idea
)
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir election turns violent: 19 killed, protests intensify as rigging allegations fly
)
Russia-Ukraine War: Russia drops 3-tonne Glide bombs on Ukraine
)
‘Kill Melania, Barron’: Why is IRGC-linked media outlet urging ‘freedom fighters’ to assassinate Trump’s family? WATCH
)
3,000 years ago, humanity spoke thousands of languages — then fell silent. Where did they all go?
)
You are a 'Naked Official' in China if you hold high posts and have children or spouse abroad. What about India?
)
RSS backed Jantar Mantar student protest? Mohan Bhagwat's 'question authority' remark resurfaces
)
He predicted COVID-19 and 2008 economic crisis, was labeled fearmonger. Now he has another dire warning
)
Jennifer Lopez's ex-husband Ojani Noa claims he confronted Sean 'Diddy' Combs over alleged affair
)
NEET Protests riddled with misinformation? Delhi Police blocks 480 Pakistan-based handles spreading 'fake news' since Operation Sindoor
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo on axing Iyer and Kishan, a BCCI source said: "The selectors don't doubt their ability. But if the NCA is saying you are fit and you are not making yourself available for the Test series, how can the BCCI offer you a contract?
"After the IPL, if they happen to get selected and fulfil the criteria of the number of matches required for a pro-rata contract, they will be awarded a contract," added the source.
Apart from the 30 centrally contracted players divided into four grades, namely: A-plus, A, B and C, five pacers namely Akash Deep, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal and Vidwath Kaverappa have been recommended for a fast bowling contract.
The board also said that in its release that the players who fulfill a minimum criteria of playing 3 Tests or 8 ODIs or 10 T20Is in the specified time period will automatically be included in the Grade C list on pro-rata basis.
It means that Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan will be eligible for the BCCI Grade C contract if they make it to the playing XI of the fifth Test against England in Dharamsala which starts on March 7. Both the players have already featured in the two Tests of the ongoing series.
