‘Chin up and come back more stronger’: Ravi Shastri’s advice to Kishan and Iyer

The BCCI on Wednesday announced its annual contract list for 2023-24 and excluded the likes of Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan from it.

The BCCI revealed a 30-member list of centrally contracted players in which the players KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj and Shubman Gill have been given promotions to Grade A while Rishabh Pant has been demoted to Grade B.

Shreyas Iyer who was in Grade B and Ishan Kishan in Grade C for the last season have not qualified for the contract.

“Please note that Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were not considered for the annual contracts in this round of recommendations,” read a statement from BCCI.

The latest development comes on the heels of BCCI secretary Jay Shah’s warning of stern action against players skipping domestic cricket when not on international duty.

Shreyas Iyer was part of India’s squad for their initial two Tests vs England in the ongoing series before being dropped. He didn’t feature in Mumbai’s quarter-final match vs Baroda with media reports claiming Iyer had complained of back spasms after the 2nd Test.

Ishan Kishan last played international cricket in November 2023 and made his competitive return on Tuesday in the DY Patil T20 Cup currently underway in Mumbai.

He too didn’t take part in Jharkhand’s Ranji Trophy campaign as he instead trained in Baroda, working on his fitness.

After BCCI announced the list, former India head coach Ravi Shastri motivates Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer after BCCI contract snub.

“In the game of cricket, comebacks define the spirit. Chin-up, @ShreyasIyer15 and @ishankishan51! Dig deep, face challenges, and come back even stronger. Your past achievements speak volumes, and I have no doubt you’ll conquer once again,” Shastri posted on X after the news of Ishan and Shreyas’s snub broke.

In the game of cricket, comebacks define the spirit. Chin-up, @ShreyasIyer15 and @ishankishan51! Dig deep, face challenges, and come back even stronger. Your past achievements speak volumes, and I have no doubt you’ll conquer once again.

— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) February 28, 2024

The BCCI selection committee recommended fast bowling contracts for Akash Deep, Umran Malik, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Dayal, and Vidwath Kaverappa.

“Big applause to @BCCI and @JayShah for the game-changing move with ‘fast bowling’ contracts. A crucial step in gearing up for Down Under later this year. The emphasis on Test Cricket and Domestic Cricket is a powerful message, setting the right tone for the future of our beloved sport!” Shastri wrote in another post.

BCCI has recommended that all its centrally contracted players should participate in domestic cricket when not representing India.