"His stocks have gone down" - Aakash Chopra on Shikhar Dhawan having fallen from Grade A to Grade C in the BCCI contracts

Aakash Chopra has pointed out the reasons behind Shikhar Dhawan and Hardik Pandya's drastic demotion in the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) annual contract list.

Dhawan and Hardik, who were earlier in Grade A, have been demoted to Grade C in the latest contract renewals announced by the BCCI. Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ishant Sharma are some of the other veterans who have been downgraded.

Aakash Chopra reflected on the development in a video shared on his YouTube channel. He said the following about Dhawan and Hardik:

"You see two important players who have gone down two grades - Shikhar Dhawan and Hardik Pandya, who used to get 5 crores, will now get only 1 crore. Why have they been downgraded two grades suddenly? Shikhar Dhawan - his stocks have gone down."

The former India opener highlighted that Dhawan no longer seems to be in contention for the shortest and longest formats of the game. Aakash Chopra elaborated:

"He was not part of the World Cup, doesn't play Test cricket, he played well in the ODIs against South Africa but he is now just a one-format player. Last year, he was playing T20s also and was probably in the periphery in Tests as well but not now."

Dhawan last played a Test match more than three years ago. He captained Team India in the T20I series against Sri Lanka last year, when most of the first-team regulars were in England, but has not been considered for the 20-over format since then.

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"Hardik Pandya hasn't been fit" - Aakash Chopra

Hardik Pandya has been laid low by back issues

Aakash Chopra pointed out that Hardik Pandya's fitness issues have resulted in his demotion. He explained:

"Hardik Pandya hasn't been fit, so that's been the problem. He played the World Cup for sure but after that, the fitness has not been there at all, he has not played and you don't even know what is going to happen going ahead. So he has been suddenly put in Grade C."

The renowned commentator concluded by opining that amongst the demoted players, Hardik Pandya has the best chance of getting a promotion in the next cycle. Aakash Chopra observed:

"Hardik Pandya can make a jump. There is only one player who has extremely bright chances of making a jump - that is Hardik Pandya. If he gets fit and does well, he might get two or three jumps."

The upcoming IPL 2022 could play a significant role in defining Hardik's future with Team India. The Gujarat Titans skipper will see his stock rise again if he can prove his fitness in the prestigious tournament.