Sachin Tendulkar taunts Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer after BCCI rips them off their central contracts

Sachin Tendulkar shares his perspective on the importance of national players participating in the Ranji Trophy amid Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan’s central contract exclusion. Sachin Tendulkar said the Ranji Trophy will provide an opportunity to rediscover the basics.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) removed Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan from the central contracts list for 2023-24. The decision was made because they chose not to represent their respective state teams when they were not playing for the Indian team.

I Remained Passionate About Playing For Mumbai – Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar emphasized the positive impact of Indian players participating in domestic teams. The legendary cricketer recalled his experience playing alongside several national players, highlighting his own passion for representing Mumbai.

“When India players turn up for their domestic teams, it raises the quality of play for youngsters and sometimes new talent is identified. It also gives the national players a chance to sometimes rediscover the basics,” Tendulkar posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).

“Throughout my career, I remained passionate about playing for Mumbai whenever I had the opportunity. Growing up, we had almost 7-8 India players in our dressing room, and it was fun to play alongside them,” he added.

The Ranji Trophy semi-finals have been riveting! @MumbaiCricAssoc’s march into the finals was aided by a brilliant batting recovery, while the other semi-final hangs in the balance going into the last day – Madhya Pradesh need 90+ runs to win, Vidarbha need 4 wickets.…

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) March 5, 2024

Ishan Kishan withdrew from the Indian squad during the South Africa tour due to personal reasons. Later, the southpaw ignored the BCCI’s directive to play Ranji Trophy games for Jharkhand, instead preparing for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season.

Shreyas Iyer, on the other hand, was excluded from the squad following the second Test of the ongoing series against England. He did not participate in Mumbai’s Ranji quarterfinal against Baroda. However, he joined the state team for the semifinal against Tamil Nadu.

The Ranji Trophy Semi-Finals Have Been Riveting – Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar extended his congratulations to Mumbai for securing a spot in the Ranji Trophy final. The former cricketer highlighted that the participation of star Indian players in their state teams would boost interest in domestic cricket.

“The Ranji Trophy semi-finals have been riveting! @MumbaiCricAssoc’s march into the finals was aided by a brilliant batting recovery, while the other semi-final hangs in the balance going into the last day – Madhya Pradesh need 90 runs to win, Vidarbha need 4 wickets,” Tendulkar further added.

“With top notch players participating in domestic tournaments, over a period of time, fans will also start following and supporting their domestic teams much more. Wonderful to see @BCCI give equal priority to domestic cricket.”

Mumbai secured their place in the Ranji Trophy 2024 Final after Shardul Thakur’s outstanding all-round performance. They dominated against Tamil Nadu in the semifinal, winning by an innings and 70 runs at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy BKC in Mumbai.

This victory marks Mumbai’s record 48th qualification for the Ranji Trophy final, the highest in the tournament’s history. The Ajinkya Rahane-led team is set to compete against Vidharbha in the summit clash at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, commencing on March 10.

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