Why Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer Were Excluded from BCCI Contracts
Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan find themselves absent from the BCCI's annual retainers, a consequence of their perceived unavailability for national team duties. Kishan, taking a hiatus for personal reasons during the South Africa tour, only recently returned to the field in the DY Patil T20 tournament. Despite being deemed fit by the NCA before the ongoing Test series' second half, Iyer has not represented either India or Mumbai in the subsequent week.
A noteworthy aspect of the BCCI's contract announcement stated, "The BCCI has recommended that all athletes give precedence to participating in domestic cricket during periods when they are not representing the national team." Two weeks prior, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah penned a letter urging centrally contracted players not to prioritize the IPL over domestic and national commitments, warning them of "severe implications."
Even India's captain, Rohit Sharma, emphasized the importance of displaying "hunger" for Test cricket during a press conference after the Ranchi Test. He acknowledged the challenges of the format, underscoring the need for players demonstrating the requisite hunger to be given preference.
When Kishan was excluded from the Tests against England, Coach Rahul Dravid explained that he hadn't made himself available and would need to participate in domestic cricket to stage a comeback. ESPNcricinfo reports that despite attempts to contact him during the ongoing Test series, Kishan expressed unreadiness. In his absence, Dhruv Jurel made an impactful debut, winning the Player-of-the-Match award in his second Test.
Iyer's absence appears to be rooted in a disagreement with the NCA's fitness assessment. Despite expressing back discomfort after the second Test, he was cleared of any injury by the medical staff. The BCCI provided no reason when Iyer was left out of the third and fourth Tests. However, he did not participate in Mumbai's Ranji Trophy match the following week, citing back spasms according to Mumbai Cricket Association sources.
Selectors, responsible for contract recommendations, expressed displeasure over Kishan training with IPL captain Hardik Pandya during his break and Iyer attending Kolkata Knight Riders' pre-season camp instead of playing for Mumbai. Subsequently, Iyer made himself available for Mumbai's Ranji Trophy semi-final.
A BCCI official clarified that the selectors don't doubt the players' abilities but raised concerns about players being fit and not making themselves available for Test series. The official emphasized that if selected after the IPL and meeting contract criteria, the players would be awarded contracts.
The undeniable talent of Iyer and Kishan prompted India to wait for Iyer's fitness before the ODI World Cup and acknowledge Kishan's contributions, even serving as India's Test wicketkeeper in Rishabh Pant's absence. However, Kishan's decision to prioritize the IPL over domestic commitments, despite reasons like potential Test team preferences, seems to have led to the BCCI's tangible statement to address the conflict highlighted by Shah's warning.
