Indian batters Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan have been dropped from the latest BCCI contract list for the 2023-24 season. The BCCI, in a statement said that the duo “were not considered for the annual contracts in this round of recommendations.”
The decision comes amid controversy surrounding their non-participation in the ongoing Ranji Trophy. Iyer, who was ruled out of the quarterfinal on February 23, faced scrutiny, while Kishan, despite being in the national squad for the South Africa Test series last year, opted out due to ‘personal reasons’ and has not featured in recent Ranji matches.
The BCCI Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja in the A+ category. Noteworthy promotions to the A category include Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, and Shubman Gill. Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel, however, saw a drop to the B category, where young talent Yashasvi Jaiswal secured a place.
In a bid to encourage discipline and stress the importance of domestic cricket, the BCCI earlier announced that all contracted players must participate in the next round of Ranji Trophy matches. This directive aligns with the recent emphasis on prioritizing domestic cricket during periods when players are not representing the national team.
The B category includes Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, while newcomers like Rinku Singh, Tilak Verma, Ruturaj Gaekwad, Shardul Thakur, Shivam Dube, and others find themselves in the C category.
Additionally, in a first, the Selection Committee recommended fast bowling contracts for athletes such as Akash Deep, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal, and Vidwath Kaverappa.
The BCCI’s call for players to actively engage in domestic cricket when not on national duty underscores their commitment to nurturing and promoting talent at the grassroots level.