The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has finally cracked the whip on players who don’t participate in domestic cricket when they are not on India duty or undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
In an email to all contracted players and those on the national selectors’ radar on Monday, the Board has made it clear that they will have to join their respective state teams for the next round of Ranji Trophy matches starting February 16.
Sources told The Telegraph that cricketers who continuously ignore such directives from the national selectors could run the risk of getting their annual contracts suspended temporarily or a demotion in their grade.
The Board’s order has been aimed at players like Ishan Kishan and Deepak Chahar who have regularly not paid heed to such calls. Both have not turned up for their respective state teams this season but have been practising with their IPL franchises.
While Kishan has been training with Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya at the Kiran More Academy in Vadodara, Chahar was seen putting in the hard yards at Chennai Super Kings’ nets.
The move has been aimed at preventing players from giving more importance to IPL while ignoring red-ball cricket. Kishan hasn’t been in touch with the Jharkhand State Cricket Association
this season so far, but is expected to make himself available henceforth.
The Board’s brass maintains that franchise league is important but doesn’t support the players’ mindset of turning into the IPL mode from January itself.
Kishan’s case has been curious since requesting the team management for a break during the Test series in South Africa. His continued absence did come as a surprise with the Board maintaining a stoic silence on the whole issue.
Head coach Rahul Dravid later clarified that there were no disciplinary issues involved and “he needs to play some cricket and come back”.
“The choice is his. We are not forcing him to do anything,” Dravid said after the Visakhapatnam Test.
It will be interesting to see if his IPL performance forms the basis of selection for the T20 World Cup in June. Kishan’s attitude has been questioned along with his preference for IPL at the cost of national commitments. The think-tank has already been grooming Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson in the wicket-keeper’s role for T20s.
Kishan’s staying away from Ranji irked former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan. “Finding it perplexing how someone can be fit enough to practice but not play domestic cricket. How does this even make sense?” Pathan wrote on X last week.
Chahar’s case is equally interesting. The pacer opted out of the series in South Africa because of personal problems but has recently been posting
videos of his training in CSK colours. He though hasn’t turned out for Rajasthan in the Ranji Trophy.
The directive will also apply to Shreyas Iyer who has been dropped from the squad after the first two Tests against England because of poor performance. Iyer had complained of stiffness in the back after the second Test though the team’s medical staff never raised the red flag.
Iyer will have to turn out for Mumbai after his rehabilitation at the NCA. He had played one Ranji game after returning from South Africa as part of his preparations for the England series.
It remains to be seen if the Board’s ruling also applies to Pandya. The all-rounder hasn’t been passed fit by the NCA but has been having net sessions in his hometown. The all-rounder though could argue that he only plays white-ball cricket and so isn’t bound to participate in the Ranji matches.
Several former captains, including Sunil Gavaskar, have voiced their concerns about the players’ unwillingness to turn up in domestic competitions and the Board’s directive is being seen as a step in the right direction.
