Ishan Kishan’s absence from the Ranji Trophy continued, as the wicketkeeper-batsman, who plays domestic cricket for Jharkhand, missed the last round of matches, which began on Friday.
Deepak Chahar and Shreyas Iyer were also not in action. However, Iyer was experiencing problems with his lower back and groin. These three players, Kishan, Chahar, and Iyer, were explicitly instructed to represent their respective state teams in first-class cricket.
Recently, BCCI secretary Jay Shah was questioned about centrally contracted players missing domestic events. Shah said he will issue a directive for all fit centrally contracted players to make themselves available for selection in domestic cricket.
“If you are fit then no excuse will be entertained,” he said. “This applies to all centrally contracted players; they have to play. The player cannot decide his future, the selectors need to decide that. If the player is good in red-ball, he has to play.”
In Kishan’s absence, Kumar Kushagra continued to retain wickets for Jharkhand. Jharkhand, with only one victory and 10 points from six matches, will face Rajasthan at home.
Kishan, who requested a sabbatical midway through India’s South Africa tour, has been practicing in Baroda alongside his new Mumbai Indians skipper, Hardik Pandya.
Mumbai, Iyer’s native squad, has already qualified for the quarterfinals. They play their final league encounter against Assam at home.
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