Former Indian captain Kapil Dev recently responded to Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan losing their central contracts due to their reported reluctance to participate in domestic cricket matches.
Dev praised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for adopting a stringent stance to prevent players from avoiding first-class matches. He expressed the view that though some players might be disappointed with these measures, it was the correct course of action.
In an interview with PTI, the captain who led India to victory in the 1983 World Cup stated:
“I am so happy that the cricket board has taken a step forward for first-class cricket. The boys must play that, it’s good for the country. Whatever is good for the country, I feel happy about that. Yes, few players will suffer…kuch ko takleef hogi, hone do, lekin desh se badhkar koi nahi hai. Well done.”
Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were notably excluded from the central contract list unveiled by the BCCI on February 28. In the previous year, Iyer and Kishan held positions in Grade B and Grade C categories, respectively.
“If the BCCI told them to play first-class cricket, they should have gone and played” – Madan Lal take on Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer
Madan Lal, Kapil Dev’s teammate from the 1983 World Cup, shared similar views when commenting on the loss of central contracts for Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer.
He recommended that both players should have adhered to the BCCI’s instructions and engaged in first-class matches. Expressing concern that some Indian cricketers may be overlooking the importance of domestic cricket, Lal conveyed to TOI:
“If the BCCI told them to play first-class cricket, they should have gone and played. No one is bigger than the game. The BCCI should be given the credit as they are making it mandatory to play first-class cricket.”
“Most of the players nowadays are taking first-class cricket for granted because of the IPL. Definitely, the BCCI made a rule that every player should go and play first-class cricket. So if you don’t follow the rules, then they have to take some action and set an example for others.”
Shreyas Iyer is included in Mumbai’s lineup for the Ranji Trophy 2024 semifinal against Tamil Nadu, and Ishan Kishan has made a comeback to the field in the ongoing DY Patil T20 Cup in Mumbai.
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