In a shocking but expected move, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) dropped youngsters Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan from its annual contract for the 2023-24 season following their reluctance to play domestic cricket.
However, Iyer will return to action for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy semifinal against Tamil Nadu but the wicketkeeper-batter has not indicated his return to first-class cricket.
BCCI in a release stated that 'Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were not considered for the annual contracts in this round of recommendations' to send a bold message to players to prioritise domestic cricket over IPL.
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 release added.
What's ahead for Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan?
Iyer lost his Grade B contract while Kishan was omitted from the Grade C contract list. In the absence of duo, youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal has been granted Grade B after stellar performance in Tests since making his debut while Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Jitesh Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan and Rajat Patidar are included in Grade C.
Iyer and Kishan will have the best chance to attract selectors in the upcoming season of the IPL in March. They have to do extraordinary performances in the season to earn a recall back in the squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 in June. With stiff competition in the squad, both have a slight chance to reserve their spots based on their performance in the marquee competition.
However, the road is not easy for them but the contract exclusion is also not a roadblock in their cricketing journey. The players will get ample opportunities in domestic matches for their respective sides to play and also in various other Indian teams to earn a recall for the senior Men in Blue side.
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How will Shreyas and Ishan get their BCCI contract back?
As per BCCI's criteria, athletes who meet the criteria of playing a minimum of 3 Tests or 8 ODIs or 10 T20Is within the specified period will automatically be included in Grade C on a pro-rata basis.
If Iyer and Kishan will feature in the minimum matches, as mentioned above, in any of the formats then both will be handed a Grade C contract automatically for the current season.
To get a contract back, they have to play for India and for that, the duo has to outshine in any of the tournaments they play.
BCCI annual contract for 2023-24 season:
Grade A+ (Rs 7 crore)
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja.
Grade A (Rs 5 crore)
R Ashwin, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya.
Grade B (Rs 3 crore)
Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Grade C (Rs 1 crore)
Rinku Singh, Tilak Verma, Ruturaj Gaekwad, Shardul Thakur, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Jitesh Sharma, Washington Sundar, Mukesh Kumar, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, KS Bharat, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan and Rajat Patidar.