"Shreyas Iyer doesn't need any advice.."- Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane the Mumbai skipper has backed Shreyas Iyer to perform well in the Ranji Trophy semi-final against Tamil Nadu starting from March 2. Iyer had pulled out from Mumbai’s second quarter-final match against Baroda.

The decision saw him and Ishan Kishan face the axe in BCCI’s latest release of the central contracts. Iyer and Kishan did not find themselves in any Grade and are not part of BCCI’s centrally contracted players that was announced on February 28.

Iyer’s decision to return to playing domestic cricket came after BCCI terminated him from the central contract. Iyer who was having back and groin problems has now fully recovered from his problems and is all set to bolster Mumbai’s batting lineup in the big semi-final against Tamil Nadu.

Thrilled To Have Shreyas Iyer In Our Team: Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane who himself is not part of BCCI’s newly released list of centrally contracted players, backed Iyer to perform in the big match. He said that the team is happy to have an experienced player like him back in the side.

“He’s an experienced player. His contribution has been amazing whenever he turned up for Mumbai. We are thrilled to have him in our team for the semifinal,” Rahane said before his team takes on Tamil Nadu in the Ranji semifinals.

“I don’t think he needs any encouragement or advice. He has always contributed with the bat for Mumbai, and him being around other players in the dressing room will also help the team’s cause,” the Mumbai skipper added.

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Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were the two big games that were missing from BCCI’s list of centrally contracted players that was announced on February 28. The two were a part of India’s team across formats in 2023. Iyer scored over 500 runs in the World Cup including a century in the semi-final and played a big role in the team making the final.

The decision came after both players denied participating in domestic cricket for their respective states despite BCCI Secretary Jay Shah’s warning. Reports in Indian Express say that the decision on the duo was taken after the selectors recommended their names.

On the other hand, Hardik Pandya was added to the Grade A category despite playing no cricket since the World Cup where he was ruled out with an ankle injury. He will be leading the Mumbai Indians in the upcoming IPL edition starting from March 22.

Reports in Indian Express further said that the duo might not be selected for the T20 World Cup 2024 to be played in June. Also, their future with the Indian national team could have an impact after BCCI’s latest decision on the duo.

However, both Iyer and Kishan will be playing for Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024. While Iyer will be leading KKR, Kishan is expected to open the innings for Mumbai along with Rohit Sharma. Both players were very much key to India’s white-ball plans in the future and the contract termination came at the right time for the two promising Indian players.

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