Former India captain Sourav Ganguly stated that he was surprised by Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan’s decision to not play in the Ranji Trophy tournament.
“I think the BCCI wants them to play first-class cricket. I am surprised why Shreyas Iyer has not played Ranji Trophy. It is a premier tournament and you are supposed to play. So, it is a decision by BCCI and what they have thought right they have done. Every contracted cricketer must play first-class cricket because that is the basic premise of cricket in this country,” Ganguly told RevzSportz.
When asked about Ishan Kishan not playing in the Ranji Trophy. Ganguly said: “You are supposed to play first-class cricket. Once you are a contracted player, you are expected to play in the Premier tournament. Shreyas Iyer is playing in the semi-final for Mumbai in a couple of days. Yes, they are young people and Ishan has surprised me. He was part of the Indian team in all formats. Such a big contract in IPL. I don’t know why he has done that. You must play especially when you are as gifted as Ishan Kishan. When you are playing for India in all formats, you must play. I was surprised by his decision not to.”
While Kishan is playing in the DY Patil T20 Cup, Iyer has made himself available for Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy semifinal against Tamil Nadu.
Ishan Kishan has been out of action since the South Africa tour last year, while Shreyas Iyer was dropped from the Indian team after two Tests of the ongoing series against England. Kishan had asked for a mental health break which the BCCI gave him.But with the England Tests coming up, the board and the team management asked Kishan to play in the Ranji Trophy to become eligible for selection. But Kishan continued to ignore the diktat despite a stern warning from BCCI secretary Jay Shah.
