Aoba Tanaka In a surprising turn of events, Team India’s dynamic duo, Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer, found themselves excluded from the annual central contracts by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan ignited a social media storm by drawing attention to the contrasting case of all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who managed to escape the ‘Kishan-Iyer treatment’ and secure a Grade A contract for the 2023-2024 season.
Irfan Pathan took to social media, emphasizing the peculiar situation surrounding Hardik Pandya’s contract extension while Iyer and Kishan faced exclusion. The former all-rounder hinted at the different parameters applied to Pandya, sparking discussions among cricket enthusiasts.
The BCCI official shed light on Pandya’s unique situation, explaining that the all-rounder, primarily a white-ball player, committed to participating in domestic white-ball tournaments when not on national duty. Pandya’s exemption from red-ball cricket due to his current inability to bowl in such formats was a decisive factor, making the Ranji Trophy out of consideration for the all-rounder.
The BCCI official stated, “We have had discussions with Pandya, who has been told to play domestic white-ball tournaments when he is available. At this stage, according to the assessment of the BCCI’s medical team, he is not in a position to bowl in red-ball tournaments. So playing Ranji Trophy is out of the equation for Pandya. But he has to play other white-ball tournaments if there are no India commitments.”
As Hardik Pandya recovers from an ankle injury ahead of IPL 2024, his return to competitive cricket at the DY Patil tournament marked a significant step. The captain of the Mumbai Indians franchise is carefully monitoring his fitness at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). The 30-year-old’s exemption from the Ranji Trophy and inclusion in Grade A contracts raises questions about the consistency of BCCI’s contractual decisions and selection criteria.
The controversy adds an intriguing layer to the cricketing narrative, with fans and analysts speculating on the implications of these contract decisions for the future of Indian cricket.
