Due to their lack of participation in domestic competitions, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were removed from the BCCI's (Board of Control for Cricket in India) list of players under central contract. Many experts applauded the choice, but it also sparked discussion over all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who was given a Grade A contract despite not playing in Ranji Trophy matches. Indian Express reports that Hardik was given the contract after promising BCCI and selectors that he would play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s if he had no obligations with the national side.
Pandya had an ankle injury during the 2023 Cricket World Cup and was sidelined till he participated in the DY Patil tournament.
After our conversations, Pandya was instructed to participate in domestic white-ball competitions whenever free. Based on the medical team's evaluation, he is now deemed unable to bowl in red-ball competitions by the BCCI. Therefore, Pandya cannot play for the Ranji Trophy. However, if he has no obligations to India, he must compete in other white-ball competitions. He'll lose out on a contract if he doesn't, the official told The Indian Express.
Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer were denied central contracts by the BCCI earlier because they disregarded an order to participate in the Ranji Trophy. Former India bowler Irfan Pathan questioned this decision, claiming that players such as Hardik Pandya are not evaluated using the same standards.
In his post on X, he questioned the BCCI's decision, saying, 'If players like Hardik don't want to play red-ball cricket, should he and others like him participate in white-ball domestic cricket when they aren't on national duty?'
'If this doesn't apply to all, then Indian cricket won't achieve the desired results!' he stated.
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