On Wednesday, the BCCI released its annual player retainership for the 2023/24 season, however Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer were not considered for central contracts.
“Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were not considered for the annual contracts in this round of recommendations. The BCCI has recommended that all athletes give precedence to participating in domestic cricket during periods when they are not representing the national team,” the board said in a statement.
The batting partnership has not been part of the Indian team due to reports of their refusal to play in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season.
Cheteshwar Pujara, who was handed a Grade B contract last season, was also left off the list, having not played a Test since the World Test Championship final against Australia in June 2023.
Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, and Yashasvi Jaiswal were among the players that received their first contracts. Shubman Gill was promoted from Grade B to Grade A, as did K.L. Rahul. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah remain the top four players ranked A+.
In addition, the BCCI issued ‘Fast Bowling Contracts’ for Akash Deep, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal, and Vidwath Kaverappa. In addition, the board stated that players who appear in three Tests, eight ODIs, or ten T20Is will be automatically placed in Grade C.
