The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has responded to some Indian internationals not giving preference to red-ball cricket and choosing to ignore the warnings. They are Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer. The duo find themselves in a spot of bother as BCCI has decided to take away the central contracts from them. Both Iyer and Kishan did not feature in the three grades that were announced on Wednesday.

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Kishan and Iyer reportedly have refused to play domestic cricket despite being fully fit and have paid the price for showing indiscipline. Kishan, since leaving the South Africa tour in December last year, came back to playing cricket only late February, a few days ago in the DY Patil T20 tournament. This, he did, when Ranji Trophy 2024 had been going on. Iyer, it is reported, cited an injury issue for missing a Ranji Trophy game for Mumbai. However, NCA’s fitness expert told BCCI that there was no such issue associated with Iyer.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri, who is not known for mincing his words, praised BCCI’s efforts to underline the importance of red-ball and Test cricket. He made two tweets on Wednesday as soon as new contracts were released. In his first tweet, he wrote that this was a powerful message from the board. In the second tweet, he sent a message for Kishan and Iyer, to see this moment as fuel to motivate themselves for a strong comeback.

“Big applause to @BCCI and @JayShah for the game-changing move with ‘fast bowling’ contracts. A crucial step in gearing up for Down Under later this year. The emphasis on Test Cricket and Domestic Cricket is a powerful message, setting the right tone for the future of our beloved sport,” he wrote.

“In the game of cricket, comebacks define the spirit. Chin-up, @ShreyasIyer15 and @ishankishan51! Dig deep, face challenges, and come back even stronger. Your past achievements speak volumes, and I have no doubt you’ll conquer once again,” wrote Shastri.

Big applause to @BCCI and @JayShah for the game-changing move with ‘fast bowling’ contracts. A crucial step in gearing up for Down Under later this year. The emphasis on Test Cricket and Domestic Cricket is a powerful message, setting the right tone for the future of our beloved_

— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) February 28, 2024

In the game of cricket, comebacks define the spirit. Chin-up, @ShreyasIyer15 and @ishankishan51! Dig deep, face challenges, and come back even stronger. Your past achievements speak volumes, and I have no doubt you’ll conquer once again.
— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) February 28, 2024

Notably, without naming Kishan and Iyer, India captain Rohit Sharma had said that those cricketers will be given preference to be included in the squad who give red-ball cricket importance and show the hunger. Rohit had pointed out that the management, that includes him, support staff, selectors, can easily see who is hungry for Test cricket and who is not.