Iyer, Kishan not considered for annual BCCI contracts
New Delhi, India - Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were not considered for annual contracts for the 2023-24 season, India’s cricket board
(BCCI) said on Wednesday when they announced a list of 30 players who had been handed contracts.
Iyer was on a Grade B contract last year while Kishan was handed a Grade C contract but despite playing in the 50-over World Cup last year, the BCCI said both players were not considered in this round of recommendations.
Iyer, who was one of the key performers in India’s run to the World Cup final last November, lost his Grade B contract despite fulfilling the minimum criteria set by the board in terms of matches played. Since last October, when the contract period started, Iyer played four Tests, 12 ODIS and two T20IS. Two of those Tests were the first two of the ongoing series against England, where he struggled for form and was left out for the remainder of the series.
Not long after that, Iyer informed the Mumbai Cricket Association that he had been suffering from back spasms, and would not be available for the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Baroda. Since then, Iyer has made himself available and is part of Mumbai’s squad for the semi-final against Tamil
Nadu on March 2.
Kishan had a Grade C contract last year. In the current contract period, he played just two ODIS and three T20IS, although he was part of various India squads, including the one at the World Cup. In December, while on tour in South Africa, he sought a personal break, which was granted by BCCI. However, since then he has not featured in any competitive cricket organised by the board. On Tuesday, he made headlines when he turning up to play at the DY Patil T20 Cup, a privately organised tournament.