Out-of-favor Indian batsman Shreyas Iyer is reportedly back on BCCI central contracts. The right-handed batsman has not played for Team India since the Test series against England earlier this year.
He was dropped from the squad after the second Test match of the five-match series and has not been called up since. At the time, reports stated that though Shreyas Iyer had complained of a back problem, he was cleared for selection. During that same period, the BCCI had also ordered all players to play for state teams when they were not part of the Indian team.
However, Shreyas Iyer missed the Ranji matches for Mumbai after being dropped from the Test squad. Not only that, he had also attended a pre-season camp of Kolkata Knight Riders after deciding not to play for Mumbai.
He returned to play for Mumbai in the semi-final and final but the BCCI was upset with his actions and had already taken a major decision. The BCCI decided not to give him a central contract. Apart from Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan also lost the central contract for not playing the Ranji matches for Jharkhand.
However, the board is now ready to give Shreyas Iyer a central contract. According to the Indian Express, the Mumbai star is all set to be called up for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. And with his return to international cricket, he will also find a place in the BCCI’s annual contract.
Interestingly, the BCCI took the decision just after the appointment of Gautam Gambhir as the head coach of the team. Iyer and Gambhir had worked together for Kolkata Knight Riders earlier this year. While Iyer was the captain, Gambhir was the mentor as the duo guided the Kolkata-based team to their third IPL title.
Shreyas Iyer seems to impress:
Shreyas Iyer will be looking to get off to a flying start if he finds a place in the Indian squad for the upcoming ODI series. He was one of India’s best batsmen in last year’s ODI World Cup and is likely to get a place in the playing XI if he is picked for the team.
He was India’s third highest run-scorer in the tournament, scoring 530 runs in 11 games with the help of 2 centuries and 3 fifties.
