The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) has written a letter to the centrally contracted players stressing the value of playing domestic red-ball cricket as a result of star Indian batter Ishan Kishan missing multiple rounds of the current Ranji Trophy season. This has caused significant controversy.
After noticing a pattern where players were prioritizing getting ready for the Indian Premier League (IPL) over competing in Indian domestic events, the BCCI said that players who miss out on the Ranji Trophy will face severe consequences.
“A recent pattern that has begun to surface is reason for concern. Unexpectedly, some players have started to place more importance on the IPL than on domestic cricket. “In our vision for the sport, domestic cricket has always been the cornerstone upon which Indian cricket stands,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah stated in the letter.
From the beginning, our goal for Indian cricket has been very clear: each player who wants to represent their country must excel in domestic cricket. Performance in domestic cricket is still a crucial selection criterion, and missing out on domestic cricket will have dire consequences, he continued.
At the top of the BCCI’s priority list appears to be Ishan, who was recently photographed training in Baroda with Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya ahead of the 2024 Indian Premier League. According to recently surfaced sources, Kishan broke his silence on the Ranji Trophy.
Ishan Kishan is reportedly working on certain technical areas of his game and feels unprepared for red-ball cricket at the moment. He told a top member of the Indian think tank this information.
Furthermore, Ishan Kishan is going to compete in the DY Patil T20 event instead of the Ranji Trophy.
A discussion concerning his commitment to playing red-ball cricket has been further ignited by his decision to participate in the shorter format event.