'Dig Deep, Face Challenges': Ravi Shastri's Message to Iyer, Kishan to 'Chin up' After Annual Contract Snub

In what appears to be a signal to players to not take domestic cricket lightly, the BCCI on Wednesday two India stars Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan from its annual retainership for 2023-34.

The BCCI announced a 30-member list of centrally contracted players in which the likes of KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj have been given promotion to Grade A while the recovering Rishabh Pant has been demoted to Grade B.

Also Read: Jaiswal Makes it to Grade B; Siraj, Gill Get Promotions

Iyer was in Grad B while Ishan in Grade C for the last season but neither features in the latest list of players.

“Please note that Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were not considered for the annual contracts in this round of recommendations,” read a statement from BCCI.

The latest development comes on the heels of BCCI secretary Jay Shah warning of stern action against India players skipping domestic cricket when not on international duty.

Iyer was part of India squad for their first two Tests against England in the ongoing five-match series before being dropped. He didn’t feature in Mumbai’s quarter-final match against Baroda with media reports claiming Iyer had complained of back spasm following the 2nd Test.

Also Read: BCCI Terminates Central Contracts of Ishan and Iyer

On the other hand, Ishan last played international cricket in November 2023 and made his competitive return on Tuesday in the DY Patil T20 Cup currently underway in Mumbai.

He too didn’t take part in Jharkhand’s Ranji Trophy campaign as he instead trained in Baroda, working on his fitness.

After the BCCI revealed the list, former India head coach Ravi Shastri expressed his sympathies with the duo, hoping for them to make a strong comeback.

“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,” Shastri posted on X (formerly Twitter).

The BCCI selection committee recommended fast bowling contracts for Akash Deep, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal and Vidwath Kaverappa.

“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 sport!” Shastri wrote in another post.

Additionally, BCCI has recommended that all its centrally contracted players should participate in domestic cricket when not representing India.