Ganguly 'Surprised' As Kishan, Iyer Ignore 'Basic Premise' Of Cricket
Sourav Ganguly said he was shocked to see both Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer skipping domestic matches.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has backed BCCI's decision to axe star duo Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from central contracts. Kishan has been out of action since pulling out of the Test squad during the South Africa tour in December 2023. Iyer, on the other hand, was declared fit to play by NCA, having complained of back stiffness, but did not feature for either India or his domestic side Mumbai. While the BCCI did not reveal the reason behind the decision to axe Kishan and Iyer from central contracts, reports have claimed that the selection could be due to their non-participation in domestic cricket.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah had also penned a letter to the centrally contracted players, warning them to not prioritise the Indian Premier League over domestic cricket and national duties.
Shah, in his letter, mentioned that the players who are not following the BCCI's directives will face "severe implications".
However, both Kishan and Iyer didn't turn up for their respective state teams. Kishan was seen training with Hardik Pandya and his brother Krunal Pandya ahead of IPL 2024.
Iyer too missed the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals for Mumbai as he was reportedly attending Kolkata Knight Rider's training camp ahead of IPL 2024.
Ganguly backed BCCI's decision to axe both players, adding that he was shocked to see both Kishan and Iyer skipping domestic matches.
"I think the BCCI wants them to play first class cricket. I am surprised why Shreyas Iyer has not played Ranji Trophy. It is a premier tournament and you are supposed to play. So, it is a decision by BCCI and what they have thought right they have done. Every contracted cricketer must play first class cricket because that is the basic premise of cricket in this country," Ganguly told RevSportz.
"You are supposed to play first class cricket. Once you are a contracted player, you are expected to play the Premier tournament. Shreyas Iyer is playing the semi-final for Mumbai in a couple of days' time. Yes, they are young people and Ishan has surprised me. He was part of the Indian team in all formats. Such a big contract in IPL. I don't know why he has done that. You must play especially when you are as gifted as Ishan Kishan. When you are playing for India in all formats, you must play. I was surprised by his decision not to," the former India captain added.
