Sourav Ganguly, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, has expressed the need for BCCI secretary Jay Shah and president Roger Binny to communicate with Ishan Kishan after his exclusion from the annual retainership list for centrally contracted players. In a significant decision, the BCCI omitted Shreyas Iyer and Kishan from central contracts due to their absence from their respective state teams during the ongoing Ranji Trophy season. Iyer was previously listed under Grade B contract, whereas Kishan was included in the Grade C category last season.

Ishan Kishan refused BCCI’s offer to play the ongoing Test series against England when the Team management & Board got in touch with him. (ESPNcricinfo) pic.twitter.com/axl2CgDuNz

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“For someone like Ishan Kishan, BCCI secretary Jay Shah, president Roger Binny and the selectors need to speak to him. All this while he has played Ranji and then played white-ball cricket. Has it made him a poorer player? It hasn’t,” said Ganguly.

“All the players picked in Delhi Capitals have played Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Ranji Trophy. Even Ishant Sharma has played Ranji,” Ganguly added.

Ganguly, speaking to The Times of India, emphasized the importance of Shah, Binny, and the selectors engaging in a dialogue with Kishan. He highlighted the significance of participating in Ranji Trophy cricket, citing the example of Ishant Sharma, a seasoned player who has actively competed in the tournament. Kishan’s last appearance for India was in November 2023 during the T20I series against Australia.

Ganguly underscored the versatility of Indian cricketers, emphasizing their ability to excel in both red-ball and white-ball cricket. He mentioned Kishan’s departure from the Indian team during the South Africa tour and his subsequent absence from the five-match Test series against England.

“They can play both red-ball and white-ball. IPL career can happen along with stint in first-class cricket. They don’t clash. First-class cricket finishes and then there’s almost a month before the IPL starts. I don’t see any problem. A lot of the top quality players play Test cricket and white-ball cricket,” said Ganguly.

Regarding workload management, Ganguly suggested that only fast bowlers require such attention, while expressing confidence in the high standard of Indian cricket. Kishan had requested a break during India’s tour of South Africa.

Despite his exclusion from the central contracts, Kishan has been active in domestic cricket, participating in the DY Patil Trophy, and has been training alongside Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya ahead of the upcoming 2024 season of the Indian Premier League.

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