"No One Is Bigger Than Game": World Cup Winner Backs BCCI Over Contract Row

02.03.2024 - 12:53 sports.ndtv.com

Former Indian cricket team pacer Madan Lal, who was part of the 1983 World Cup-winning team, has praised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for terminating star duo Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer's central contracts.

While the BCCI didn't reveal the reason behind the decision to axe Kishan and Iyer, reports have claimed that the board was not happy with the players after both decided to skip domestic games for their state teams, despite being cleared fit by the NCA.

Lal lauded BCCI over the polarising move, saying that playing domestic cricket should be made compulsory for those who prioritise IPL over First Class matches. "If the BCCI told them to play first-class cricket, they should have gone and played.

No one is bigger than the game. The BCCI should be given the credit as they are making it mandatory to play first-class cricket.

cricket India Cricket Team Shreyas Iyer Ishan Kishan India

The Indian cricket team's 4-1 series win against England is significant in many ways. There were top stars like Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami who were missing due to various. The series also Shreyas Iyer getting dropped after the first two Tests. Since, then he and Ishan Kishan, who was not picked up for the series, have been left out of BCCI contract list. Their apparent reluctance to play domestic was reported as a likely reason for the axing.

Shreyas Iyer Flops On Domestic Cricket Return Amid BCCI Contract Row, Dismissed For...

Shreyas Iyer could manage to score just 3 runs off 8 balls before he was clean bowled by Sandeep Warrier during the Ranji Trophy semi-final match between Mumbai and Tamil Nadu on Sunday. It was Iyer's first domestic match after he was not given a central contract by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The decision has created quite stir among both fans and experts alike with many thinking that the decision to exclude Iyer and Ishan Kishan was correct and it can serve as an example for younger cricketers who may look to prioritise the IPL over playing red-ball cricket.

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Shreyas Iyer, the talented batter from Mumbai, is in the line of fire after the BCCI fired him, and his Indian cricket teammate Ishan Kishan, from the annual contracts. Shreyas Iyer was part of the national team till very recently in the first two Tests against England. However, he was dropped for the last three Tests after a run of poor scores. Later, he skipped a Ranji Trophy match for Mumbai as he claimed he was having a back issue. However, a report in The Indian Express, said the NCA gave a contradictory fitness report on him.

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Star players Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer were on Wednesday excluded from the annual player retainership list for the 2023-24 season, with the BCCI saying in a statement that the two were not considered for the annual contracts. The ouster came as a massive jolt to the two players who were under the scanner of the BCCI of late. Not being in the central contracts list simply means that the two players would not be getting the annual fee from BCCI, however, this is not the only loss they will have to go through.

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The BCCI recently announced the central contracts for year 2023-24. Among the trending names that failed to make a cut were Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan. With the contracts, the BCCI also reiterated the mandate that players need to participate in domestic matches while not on national duty. Iyer and Kishan were the two players who passes a period when they were neither playing for Indian team nor their respective domestic teams. In the follow-up, the two were not considered for the central contracts.

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All is not finished for Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan. The duo is in the headlines since the time they were excluded from the latest BCCI contracts. Despite being firmly in the BCCI's scheme of things in the last couple of years, Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer were excluded. Their axing is being perceived as a message from the cricket governing body to players who may show reluctance to play in domestic cricket.