Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan have been among the most influential players for India in the year 2023. The former was India’s best batter during the World Cup and the latter had made the Test team. Neither of these players found space in the Annual Player Contracts announced for the 2023-24 year.
The Board of Control of Cricket in India has passed a rule wherein all cricketers are supposed to play domestic matches in case there aren’t any other games or ties going on with their respective representation of the country. This new rule came into effect so that the players remained active and in form. It has been especially stressed after the current win of India in the Cup of T20 World.
BCCI’s Directive on Domestic Cricket
In January, BCCI made it compulsory for all players to appear in domestic cricket whenever they were not playing for the national side. The move came at the beginning of the Ranji Trophy season. Iyer wasn’t picked up for the Test series against England while Kishan took a mental health break—his last professional game was in December 2023.
Kishan, who represents Jharkhand, did not follow the stipulated orders of the BCCI. Iyer was spotted with the camp of KKR, which infuriated the BCCI officials. Iyer did finally link up with Mumbai for the semifinals and finals after recovering from a back injury; still, by then, the decision regarding removal from the contracts had been taken.
This rule, however, shall not be applied to some star players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah. As BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said, even the best players need to inform their availability when they wouldn’t be attending national games. These three, however, are exceptions.
It has been learned that the BCCI wants Test Specialists in the contingent to play at least one or two games of the Duleep Trophy, which is scheduled in August, as part of preparation for successive Tests against Bangladesh and New Zealand. The stipulation brings a road to atone in the Test squad for Iyer and Kishan.
Duleep Trophy gives Iyer, Kishan a road back to national selection
Unlike last time, this time, there won’t be any zonal selection committee for the Duleep Trophy. Only the national selection committee is going to choose them. All the Test team contenders will find a place in it. According to a senior source in the BCCI, whether Rohit, Virat, and Bumrah want to play or not will depend on Rohit, Virat, and Bumrah.
This rule of the BCCI also speaks much about the high importance that it has given to domestic cricket. Playing in domestic matches keeps the players in form and ready for any international match. Thus, all the players irrespective of their status will remain active and competitive under this rule.
For Iyer and Kishan, good performances in upcoming Duleep Trophy matches can be an important series. This would help them fight their way back into the Test team. This year, India is going to play 10 red-ball games: A five-match series in Australia; the remaining against England at home.
That will result in the new rule of BCCI having all the vibrant activities among the players in their respective vibrant forms. Even though there is some relaxation for star-graded players, the inclination towards domestic cricket cannot be underrated. It will then enhance Indian cricket to high competition and preparedness in most of its players.
