BCCI secretary Jay Shah clarified that the exclusion of Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from the centrally-contracted players’ list was solely determined by the chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar. Kishan and Iyer were not included due to their failure to fulfill domestic commitments as mandated by the BCCI.
Jay Shah said, “Ajit Agarkar decided to remove Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from the central contract. I am just a convener. My role is to implement. And we have got new players in place, like Sanju Samson. Nobody is indispensable”. pic.twitter.com/hsSYNqcXFz
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 10, 2024
Who Dropped Ishan Kishan And Shreyas Iyer?
“You can check the constitution. I am just a convener (of the selection meeting),” he said during a media interaction. “That decision lies with Ajit Agarkar, even when these two players (Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer) who did not play domestic (cricket), the decision to drop them (from the central contracts list) was only his. My role is just to implement. And we have got new players (in place), like Sanju (Samson). Nobody is indispensable,” he added.
Kishan had taken an extended break after the ODI World Cup and was unavailable until the IPL, while Iyer played some Ranji Trophy matches for Mumbai but faced criticism for attending a KKR camp in Mumbai during a Ranji Trophy match.
“Yes, I had spoken with them. Media had even carried the reports,” he said. “Even Hardik (Pandya) said if BCCI is considering me for white-ball, then I am ready to play Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Any player will have to play, even if they do not want to, they will have to,” Jay Shah continued.
Leading up to the decision to not award contracts, Jay Shah had previously expressed support for the chief selector’s authority to take action against players who did not adhere to the Indian captain and team management’s expectations regarding participation in domestic cricket. Shah mentioned that he communicated with the players after their exclusion.
Regarding the impressive performances in this year’s IPL, Shah emphasized that success ultimately hinges on individual performance and consistency.
” Whoever plays well in the IPL… like say, Ishan Kishan, he finds it difficult to take part with the Indian team but he can play in Mumbai Indians as a player. There he can play in a relaxed manner. In Team India, you have to prove yourself, give back-to-back performances. The one who can handle that can be described as a right player,” he added. Shah also revealed details of his conversation with Kishan, which took place after Mumbai Indians’ match against Gujarat. “No, I did not advise him anything. It was just a friendly talk that he should do well and I speak with all players like that,” he said.
