India cricketers Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan are at risk of losing their Indian Cricket Board central contracts for missing Ranji Trophy matches. Iyer, who was placed in Grade B of the central contract in March 2023, earning INR 3 Crore annually, and Kishan, placed in Grade C earning INR 1 Crore annually, may face exclusion from the upcoming central contract list. Moreover, as per the reports that the Board is set to announce new central contracts soon, and Kishan and Iyer could be dropped due to their failure to participate in domestic cricket.
The star India wicket keeper batter has been on hiatus due to personal matters, which led him to leave the team during the South Africa tour due to mental fatigue. Meanwhile, Iyer was recently omitted from the Test team for the final three matches of the ongoing five-match Test series. However, the Indian Cricket Board did not disclose the rationale behind excluding the Mumbai batter.
“The selectors, led by Ajit Agarkar, have almost finalized the list of centrally-contracted players for the 2023-24 season too, which the Indian Cricket Board will announce soon. Kishan and Iyer are likely to be excluded from that list, as both haven’t been playing domestic cricket despite the India Cricket Board’s diktat to do so,” a source was said as reported by Times of India.
Jay Shah made it mandatory to play domestic cricket
Iyer’s absence from the last three Tests against England was a precautionary move due to a persistent back issue, according to another source. Nitin Patel’s email confirming Iyer’s fitness came after the second Test, although the back problem had been a concern since then. The Indian Cricket Board Secretary Jay Shah emphasized the importance of centrally contracted and India A cricketers participating in domestic cricket.
Jay Shah even warned of severe consequences for those who do not comply with the directive, stating that non-participation in the ongoing Ranji Trophy would not be tolerated. Indian cricketers Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan risk losing their central contracts for skipping Ranji Trophy matches. Iyer was dropped from the Test team, while Kishan took a break due to mental fatigue. Both missed recent Ranji matches, prompting concerns over their contracts’ renewal.
