BCCI announced their 2023/24 annual player retainership contracts for the senior India men’s team yesterday (February 28). It caused a stir, particularly around the omissions of Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan.

Iyer, who has been a regular in the Indian ODI side and was the first-choice middle order batter in the Test side till last month, was not awarded a central contract. Similarly, Kishan, who has been a regular feature in the Indian white-ball squads and also made his Test debut in the West Indies last year, was ignored as well.

BCCI’s press release mentioned that “Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were not considered for the annual contracts in this round of recommendations.”

While no official explanation has been given regarding the omissions of Iyer and Kishan, it is widely assumed that both have been reprimanded for not playing domestic cricket.

Kishan had pulled out of the South Africa tour in December last year citing “mental fatigue”. Since then, he has not made himself available for selection for the national team, but was spotted practicing with Hardik Pandya while skipping Ranji Trophy games for his Jharkhand.

Iyer, on the other hand, played the first two Test matches of the series against England before he was dropped. He then missed Mumbai’s quarter-final in the Ranji Trophy due to a back issue which he was supposedly cleared off by the BCCI medical team. Instead, Iyer was seen in a KKR camp, possibly irking the powers that be in the BCCI.

Rohit Sharma, India captain, spoke on identifying players who “have the hunger” after the Ranchi Test, two days ahead of the central contract announcement: “This [Test cricket] is the toughest format. And if you want success in this format, if you want to excel, having that hunger and desire is very important. Only those guys who have the hunger will be given opportunities. And it is apparent which guys don’t have the hunger and don’t want to be here.”

While he didn’t take names, there were speculations that his comments might have been aimed at one or both of Kishan andIyer. Their exclusion from the central contracts list has only added to those speculations. Some believe this is a step in the right direction as it prioritises Indian cricket, while others feel Iyer and Kishan have been hard done by.

Former India coach Ravi Shastri expressed his support for Iyer and Kishan, saying that he has “no doubt” they’ll “conquer once again”. Irfan Pathan cited the example of Hardik Pandya to mention that different rules should not be applied to different players when it comes to enforcing participation in domestic cricket.

There has, however, been unanimous praise for BCCI’s step of introducing fast-bowling contracts with the likes of VVS Laxman, Ian Bishop, Harsha Bhogle, and Shastri commending the move.

It's great to see that commitment to represent the country in the largest format of the game and emphasis to keep oneself match ready by playing domestic cricket is being prioritised through the BCCI annual contracts.
A wonderful move too to award contracts to budding fast…

— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) February 29, 2024

My thoughts on the central contracts. This is a very strong message to players and puts Indian cricket at the forefront. If you have red ball ambition and want to play for India, you must go back and play domestic cricket if you are passed fit. I would like to see an equally…

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) February 29, 2024

Just wondering 🤔
Did my this tweet has something to do with #BCCI started being serious about Ranji trophy 🏆 https://t.co/bgKl33w3cF

— MANOJ TIWARY (@tiwarymanoj) February 28, 2024

Unbelievable!

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) February 28, 2024

They are talented cricketers, both Shreyas and Ishan. Hoping they bounce back and come back stronger. If players like Hardik don’t want to play red ball cricket, should he and others like him participate in white-ball domestic cricket when they aren’t on national duty? If this…

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) February 29, 2024

In the game of cricket, comebacks define the spirit. Chin-up, @ShreyasIyer15 and @ishankishan51! Dig deep, face challenges, and come back even stronger. Your past achievements speak volumes, and I have no doubt you'll conquer once again.

— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) February 28, 2024

Big applause to @BCCI and @JayShah for the game-changing move with 'fast bowling' contracts. A crucial step in gearing up for Down Under later this year. The emphasis on Test Cricket and Domestic Cricket is a powerful message, setting the right tone for the future of our beloved…

— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) February 28, 2024

Very innovative move by India to give out fast-bowling contracts. I am a big fan of that, especially to see Umran Malik’s name in that list. Any team that wants to be globally competitive must procure and develop quality fast-bowlers.

— Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi) February 28, 2024

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