"Kudos to BCCI" - Fans react as Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan lose their central contracts

Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan have lost their central contracts as they did not find a place in the list announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for 2023-24 on Wednesday, February 28.

Iyer and Kishan's absence raised a lot of eyebrows, given that they have featured consistently for the national team across formats in the recent past. However, both youngsters had come under the scanner for skipping Ranji Trophy matches.

It is worth mentioning that Kishan has not been picked since opting out of the Men in Blue's Test series against South Africa due to mental fatigue. Iyer, on the other hand, was part of India's squad for the first two Tests of the ongoing five-match home series against England.

However, the right-handed batter was unceremoniously dropped from the squad for the last three fixtures. Following the announcement of the central contracts, several fans took to social media, reacting to Iyer and Kishan's absence. One fan wrote:

"Kudos to BCCI for prioritising Test cricket, test cricket is the best cricket. Players who only want to play franchise cricket shouldn't be given a contract."

Here are some of the top reactions:

Shreyas Iyer was in Grade B on the contract list last year, while Ishan Kishan was placed in Grade C. The board also mentioned that the likes of Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan will be included in Grade C if they participate in the upcoming fifth Test against England.

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Shreyas Iyer named in Mumbai's squad for semi-final against Tamil Nadu of Ranji Trophy 2024

Shreyas Iyer is expected to feature in the semi-final clash between Mumbai and Tamil Nadu of the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024. He has been named in Mumbai's 16-member squad for the crucial encounter.

Iyer was underwhelming with the bat in the first two Test matches of the series against England, finishing with scores of 35, 13, 27, and 29. He has struggled for form in red-ball cricket and has not scored a Test half-century since December 2022.

The semi-final between Mumbai and Tamil Nadu will be played at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy BKC in Mumbai from March 2 to 6. Ishan Kishan, on the other hand, is currently playing in the DY Patil T20 Cup in Mumbai.