The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has issued an immediate mandate to some cricketers, including Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer, to join their respective state teams for the upcoming round of Ranji Trophy matches, Cricbuzz reported.
According to the report, the board emailed the players with the mandate to instill discipline. Apparently, the BCCI wasn’t happy with certain players not making the best use of their time and waiting for the IPL 2024 to begin.
All the players, who are neither on national duty nor undergoing injury rehabilitation at the NCA, have received the email. They will have to join their Ranji teams for the upcoming round, slated to get underway on February 16.
"Players cannot simply prioritize international cricket or the IPL," a BCCI official told Cricbuzz. "They must make themselves available for domestic cricket and honour their commitments to their respective state teams."
Ishan Kishan’s prolonged absence has become a hot topic of discussion lately. The wicketkeeper-batter was last seen in action during the home T20I series against Australia in November 2023.
Kishan withdrew his name from the Test series in South Africa last December, citing personal reasons. Since then, the left-hander has not been picked in any of the Indian squads.
In the meantime, India head coach Rahul Dravid said on multiple occasions that Ishan Kishan will have to play some form of cricket to be considered for national selection.
Despite the uproar, the southpaw didn't make himself available for selection for Jharkhand in the Ranji Trophy 2023-24. In fact, a report recently claimed that Kishan has returned to training alongside the Pandya brothers – Hardik and Krunal – in Baroda.
BCCI’s directive also applies to Shreyas Iyer, who has been left out of India’s squad for the remaining three Tests against England. While the board didn’t offer any clarification regarding his non-selection, multiple reports claimed that Iyer was dropped from the side due to his poor form with the bat.
This ruling extends to other players like Krunal Pandya and Deepak Chahar, who have been inactive in Ranji Trophy matches this season.
(With Cricbuzz inputs)
