Not Only Shreyas Iyer And Ishan Kishan, These 4 Veterans Including Cheteshwar Pujara Axed Too From BCCI Contracts

28.02.2024 - 19:35 sports.ndtv.com

The out-of-favour duo of Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer were excluded after ignoring the directive to play Ranji Trophy, while skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli expectedly retained their place in the top bracket as the BCCI unveiled its centrally-contracted players for this year on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old Kishan did not turn up for Jharkhand throughout the team's campaign in Ranji Trophy despite not being on national duty since leaving from the tour of South Africa in December citing personal reasons.

He has instead focussed on preparing for the IPL next month. Iyer, on the other hand, did not make himself available for Mumbai's Ranji quarterfinal against Baroda after being excluded from the Indian team after the second Test against England.

He, however, has been picked for the Ranji semifinals starting March 2. While announcing the central contracts for 2023-24, the BCCI once again advised all India cricketers to play domestic games when not on national duty. "Please note that Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were not considered for the annual contracts in this round of recommendations," said the BCCI in a statement. "The BCCI has recommended that all athletes give precedence to participating in domestic cricket during periods when they are not representing the national team," the board added.

cricket India Cricket Team contracts Rohit Sharma Shreyas Iyer Ishan Kishan Yuzvendra Chahal Cheteshwar Pujara South Africa India

Star India batter Shreyas Iyer on Sunday joined the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) training camp ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. The official X (formerly Twitter) handle of the Kolkata-based franchise shared pictures of the 29-year-old joining the team. Earlier in the month, KKR named Phil Salt as Jason's replacement for the upcoming season of the IPL 2024. With star overseas players like Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Phil Salt, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Mitchell Starc available along with a strong Indian core in Nitish Rana, skipper Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, Venkatesh Iyer and Varun Charkavarthy, KKR will be aiming to do well in IPL 2024.

"What Was Going On Their Minds?" Harbhajan Singh On Ishan Kishan-Shreyas Iyer Contract Snub

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh backed the Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan duo after the players were axed from BCCI's central contracts. Both the stars failed to find a place in the player retention list announced by the country's apex cricket board at the end of February this year. Harbhajan said that the ouster is not the end of the road for the two players. However, he added that their selection in upcoming series would depend on their form and the requirement of the team.

Cheteshwar Pujara Considered For England Tests But Not Selected - Report Reveals Reason

Indian cricket team batter Cheteshwar Pujara was considered for the last three Test matches against England in the recently concluded series but chief selector Ajit Agarkar decided to go with youngster Devdutt Padikkal, according to a report. Padikkal was included in the India squad after KL Rahul was ruled out due to injury ahead of the third Test match in Rajkot. The report claimed that Pujara was considered because of his impressive domestic record but Agarkar believed that Padikkal's height will be an added advantage against the England bowlers and he was also going well in Ranji Trophy.

Watch: Shreyas Iyer Ends Dismal Run, Gesture Is Viral With Rohit Sharma In Attendance

It has been a tough couple of months for Shreyas Iyer. The batter was not included in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) central contracts list and his form for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy was extremely disappointing. However, Shreyas was in fine touch on Tuesday as he slammed 95 off 111 balls and his celebration has gone viral on social media. Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma was in attendance during the Ranji Trophy final match against Vidarbha and it was a perfect time for Iyer to find some form. He looked extremely in control against the bowlers and scored a gritty half-century.

"I Don't Decide BCCI Contracts": Rahul Dravid Breaks Silence On Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer Axing

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.

'Can't Practice With Franchise': Ex-KKR Star Blasts Shreyas Iyer, Drops 'Unless You're Virat Kohli' Comment

The debate around the axing of Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan by the BCCI from its central contract is not ending anytime soon. The duo got penalized after they missed their respective state team's Ranji Trophy games. There were some reports which suggested that after missing domestic cricket, Iyer attended the practice session of his IPL franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders. This news reportedly irked selectors, which led to Iyer's exclusion from the central contract. Recently, former Australia spinner Brad Hogg lashed out at the KKR skipper for not showing up for the state team.