The BCCI’s top-tier annual contracts are the same as before, including players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja in the A+ category. However, the list of contracted players has grown to 30 from 26 in 2023.
Unfortunately, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan did not make it to the list this time. Despite contributing significantly to India’s journey to the World Cup final last November, Shreyas Iyer lost his Grade B contract, even though he met the board’s minimum criteria for matches played. Since October of the previous year, he participated in four Tests, 12 ODIs, and two T20Is. In the ongoing series against England, he faced difficulties in the first two Tests, leading to him being excluded for the remaining matches.
Ishan Kishan had a Grade C contract, while Shreyas Iyer held a Grade B contract for the retainers contracts in the 2022-23 season.
The BCCI stated that Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were not included in the annual contracts this time. The board emphasized that players should prioritize playing in domestic cricket when they are not part of the national team.
Why Shreyas Iyer And Ishan Kishan Lose BCCI Central Contracts?
Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer were excluded from the contracts because they seemed reluctant to participate in domestic red-ball cricket, specifically the Ranji Trophy, according to insights from the BCCI release on Wednesday.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah sent a letter to all contracted players, emphasizing the importance of participating in the Ranji Trophy and other domestic competitions to stay in contention for national team selection.
Ishan Kishan hasn’t played for India since withdrawing from the Test series in South Africa, where he requested a break from the team. Head coach Rahul Dravid expressed frustration when repeatedly questioned about Ishan’s absence from the senior national team during the Test series against England.
Rahul and Shubman Get Promoted!
KL Rahul and Shubman Gill have been promoted, moving up in their contract grades. Despite not being available for Test cricket, Hardik Pandya remains in Grade A. Hardik led the T20I side in 11 matches in 2023 and was seen as Rohit Sharma’s potential successor. Unfortunately, an injury during the World Cup and his subsequent time off has affected his standing.
Suryakumar Yadav, who captained India in 8 T20Is in 2023-24, continues to hold his place in Grade B.
The standout performer in India’s series against England, Yashasvi Jaiswal, receives a Grade B contract right away. Players meeting the criteria of playing a minimum of 3 Tests, 8 ODIs, or 10 T20Is within the specified period are automatically placed in Grade C on a pro-rata basis.
“After the 2nd Test in Vizag, Rahul Dravid stated, ‘There is a way back for anyone and everyone. It’s not that we rule out anybody from anything'”.
“Again, I just don’t want to go on laboring about the Ishan Kishan point. I have tried to explain this as best as I can. He had requested a break, we were happy to give him a break.
“Whenever he is ready, I didn’t say he has to play domestic cricket, I said whenever he is ready… he needs to play some cricket and come back. The choice is his. We are not forcing him to do anything. We are in touch with him.”
Rahul Dravid clarified that the team management cannot compel players to participate in domestic competitions. However, he emphasized that Ishan has to engage in competitive cricket before considering a return to the senior national side.
On a different note, Shreyas Iyer was excluded from the squad for the last 3 Tests against England. Initially reported as a recurrence of his back injury, it now appears that the team management was dissatisfied with the performance of the Kolkata Knight Riders captain.
Interestingly, Shreyas Iyer has been named in the Mumbai squad for the upcoming Ranji Trophy semi-final against Tamil Nadu in Mumbai.
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BCCI Central Contracts List:
Grade A+:
- Rohit Sharma
- Virat Kohli
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Ravindra Jadeja
Grade A:
- R Ashwin
- Mohammed Shami
- Mohammed Siraj
- KL Rahul
- Shubman Gill
- Hardik Pandya
Grade B:
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Rishabh Pant
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Axar Patel
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
Grade C:
- Rinku Singh
- Tilak Verma
- Ruturaj Gaikwad
- Shardul Thakur
- Shivam Dube
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Jitesh Sharma
- Washington Sundar
- Mukesh Kumar
- Sanju Samson
- Arshdeep Singh
- KS Bharat
- Prasidh Krishna
- Avesh Khan
- Rajat Patidar
