Ishan Kishan And Shreyas Iyer Dropped from BCCI Central Contract; Siraj, Gill, Rahul Promoted in IPL

Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan have been dropped from the BCCI central contract as they were preparing for the upcoming Indian Premier League 2024, starting from March 22, skipping the Ranji Trophy.

The board had released a new contract on Wednesday. Captain Rohit Sharma, seasoned batsman Virat Kohli, star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah have been retained in the A+ grade by the board. They will receive ₹7 crore each. Furthermore, Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, and Shubman Gill have been promoted to Grade A, while Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel have been demoted from Grade A to B. Additionally, successful Jayaswal has been given a place in Grade B. This agreement will be valid from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024.

30 Players Included in the Board’s List

The board has included 30 players in the list of central contracted players. There are four players in the A+ grade, six in Grade A, five in Grade B, and 15 players in Grade C.

Jurel and Sarfaraz Could Get Contracts

Currently, Indian players who have not made their Test debuts, Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan, could also get central contracts. According to the BCCI, players who have played fewer than 3 Tests or 8 ODIs or 10 T20Is could be included in Grade C. BCCI has stated that if Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan participate in the Dharamshala Test match, the fifth Test of the series against England, they will be included in Grade C.

Iyer and Kishan Considered but Not Given Attention

The board has stated that the names of Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were also considered for annual contracts but they were not given a place in the central contract. The board said that when players are not representing the national team, priority should be given to playing domestic cricket.

Jay Shah Said – Consequences Will Have to Be Faced by Gambhir

Currently, BCCI secretary Jay Shah had warned the players who were not playing in the Ranji Trophy and were preparing for the upcoming IPL. It has been said that the board officials were unhappy with the selection of these two players. Despite repeated requests from the board, both players were not playing Ranji Trophy matches and were busy preparing for the IPL starting from March 22.

5 Pacers Given Fast Bowling Contract

The selection committee has also given a fast bowling contract to Akash Deep, Vijaykumar Vaishya, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal, and Vidwath Kaverappa. This is not part of the central contract.