Ranji Trophy 2024: Days after BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirmed that centrally-contracted players need to play domestic red-ball cricket, wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan missed a home game for Jharkhand against Rajasthan.
In Short
- Ishan Kishan has not played a single Ranji Trophy match this season
- Ishan has not played competitive cricket since November 2023
- BCCI secretary Jay Shah said red-ball domestic cricket is mandatory for contracted players
Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan missed the last round of Ranji Trophy 2024 as he was not named in the playing XI for Jharkhand in their Elite Group A match against Rajasthan at the Keenan Stadium in Jharkhand. Ishan’s decision to not play the Ranji Trophy match comes days after Indian cricket board (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah confirmed the board’s directive to contracted players.
Ishan Kishan did not play a single match for Jharkhand in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season after he sought a break from a Test series in South Africa reportedly due to mental fatigue. Ishan was not considered for selection in the home T20I series agianst Afghanistan and the ongoing Test series against England.
Notably, head coach Rahul Dravid said earlier in the month that Ishan Kishan needs to make himself available first and then play domestic cricket before thinking of being selected for the senior national team.
Jharkhand continued with Kumar Kushagra as their wicketkeeper-batter for the final round of group stages in Ranji Trophy against Rajasthan.
Ishan Kishan has begun training again after the long break and was even spotted training with his Mumbai Indians teammate and captain Hardik Pandya in Mumbai ahead of the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
Only on Wednesday, BCCI secretary, speaking to the press during the unveiling of the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, said that the board and the selectors will not tolerate “any tantrums” from centrally-contracted players.
“They have been informed on phone already and I’m going to write letters as well that if your chairman of selectors, your coach and your captain are asking for it then you will have to play red-ball cricket,” Shah said.
“(It applies to) whoever is fit and young – we are not going to tolerate any other tantrums. This message is for all centrally contracted players. Everyone will have to play, otherwise, the chairman of the selection committee has given me his suggestions and I am going to give him a free hand to let him take his own calls freely,” he added.
Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings fast bowler Deepak Chahar also missed the match for Rajasthan in Jamshedpur.
Shreyas Iyer, who was not picked for the last three Tests against England, also missed the Ranji Trophy outing for Mumbai on Friday. It is unclear whether Iyer picked up a back injury that led to his axing from the Test squad.
This article was published on India today.
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