Kapil Dev backs BCCI's decision of axing Shreyas Iyer's and Ishan Kishan's central contracts

Former Indian World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev has given his opinion on BCCI’s strictness regarding asking players to play domestic cricket on a mandatory basis to be eligible for national selection.

Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan faced the axe as BCCI announced the central contracts. The two cricketers did not find any category as they showed no interest in plating red-ball cricket.

Since the axe, Kishan has played in the DY Patil tournament and Shreyas Iyer is also set to play the Ranji Trophy semi-final match against Tamil Nadu. Before his axe, Shreyas Iyer played a pivotal role in India’s World Cup campaign as he scored over 500 runs including a century in the semi-final against New Zealand. Kishan’s unwillingness to play red-ball cricket since being benched in the South Africa series was very evident.

Also Read: Virat Kohli to comeback with Rohit Sharma for T20 World Cup 2024? Anjum Chopra drops a bombshell

Kishan and Iyer have found support from former Indian cricketers Kirti Azad and Irfan Pathan. However, Kapi Dev supported BCCI’s decision saying that the decision has led the board to safeguard the honour of domestic tournaments in India.

“Yes, few players will suffer, kuch logon ko taqleef hogi, hone do lekin desh se badhkar koi nahi hai (some people will feel hurt but let it be because nobody is bigger than the country). Well done,” Kapil Dev said.

“I congratulate the BCCI for taking the much-needed step to protect the status of domestic cricket. I was sad to see domestic cricket being given the skip by players once they had established themselves in international cricket,” he further added.

Ishan Kishan opted out of the South Africa series citing personal and mental fatigue reasons. He also did not participate in domestic cricket for his stateside Jharkhand. In Shreyas Iyer’s case, his lower-back injury surfaced which is why he was dropped from the Indian Test side after the first Test.

He went back to the NCA and worked on his fitness. In the meantime, he pulled out of Mumbai’s quarter-final game against Baroda. However, he has been picked in the Mumbai side for the semi-final game against Tamil Nadu. The decision stems from BCCI’s move to make domestic cricket mandatory for players and their decision to terminate central contracts of players who are unwilling to play domestic cricket.

High Time For BCCI To Take This Step: Kapil Dev

The former Indian captain also emphasized that the stars of Indian cricket should also play domestic cricket for their respective domestic states.

“It was high time the message was given and this strong step by the BCCI will go a long way in restoring the prestige of domestic cricket. I have always believed in the process of international players making themselves available to play for their respective states. It helps them extend their support to domestic players. Also, it is a nice way to pay back for the services rendered by the state association in grooming a player,” he added.

India’s squad for the fifth and final Test match was also announced as Jasprit Bumrah returned to the side for the match in Dharamsala. India are placed second on the WTC points table after their Test series win over England. Their opponents are languishing on eighth on the points table.

Also Read: Kane Williamson’s runout causes a stir in Wellington, Australia, and New Zealand players fight after the end of the day’s play on Day 2