The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is working to revive first-class cricket by making it mandatory for centrally contracted players to participate in domestic matches. BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said players like Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan have returned to domestic competitions thanks to these stringent measures.
The BCCI excluded Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from their central contracts earlier this year. The board took this decision after they opted not to play in domestic cricket despite the BCCI directive. Iyer recently returned to India in the ODI series against Sri Lanka while Kishan is yet to return.
Ishan Kishan will have to play local cricket – Jay Shah
Jay Shah stressed that Team India players should participate in first-class cricket to stay connected with their roots. When asked about Kishan’s reintegration, Shah stated that Kishan would have to follow the rules and participate in domestic cricket to be considered for the national team.
“He will have to follow the rules. He will have to play local cricket,” Jay Shah was quoted as saying by the Times of India.
It is because of the tough measures I have taken, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan are playing the Duleep Trophy – Jay Shah
Jay Shah mentioned that Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan returned to domestic cricket due to the BCCI’s firm stance. Shah also said that players recovering from injuries must prove their fitness in domestic games before rejoining the Indian team.
“We have been a bit strict. When Ravindra Jadeja got injured, it was I who called him and asked him to play a domestic match. Now it is certain that whoever gets injured and retires, he will be able to make it into the Indian team only after proving his fitness in domestic cricket,” Shah added.
However, the BCCI secretary said it would not be reasonable to burden key players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma with domestic matches. Shah said that except for Kohli and Sharma, most of the top players are now participating in domestic tournaments like the Duleep Trophy.
“But there is no point in adding more burden on Virat and Rohit by asking them to play local cricket. They risk getting injured,” he said.
“It is because of the tough measures I have taken that Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan are playing the Duleep Trophy,” he added.
Ishan Kishan is all set to make his comeback to first-class cricket in the All India Buchi Babu Invitational Cricket Tournament. This event will help Kishan prepare for the domestic season. His chances of making the national team are slim due to the impressive performances of Dhruv Jurel and the return of Rishabh Pant.
The left-handed batsman is also included in the D squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2024, which will be played from September 5 to 22 at Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, and the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Kishan will play under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer in the first round.
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