Saikiran Uppuluri
Saikiran Uppuluri
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced its list of centrally contracted players for the upcoming season, with some notable changes and surprises. Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan, who were part of the previous season’s contracts, have been excluded from the 30-member list. KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, and Mohammed Siraj have been elevated to the Grade A category, while Rishabh Pant, who missed a significant part of the season due to a road accident, finds himself in Grade B.
The BCCI stated in a media release that Iyer and Kishan were not considered for the contracts in this round of recommendations, emphasizing the importance of domestic cricket for all athletes during periods when they are not representing the national team.
Key Retentions and Changes:
Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin, and Mohammed Shami retained in Grade A.
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja retained in the A+ category.
Axar Patel moved from Grade A to B.
Kuldeep Yadav elevated from Grade C to B.
Yashasvi Jaiswal included in Grade B.
Suryakumar Yadav retained in Grade B.
Cheteshwar Pujara does not find a contract this season.
15 players named in the Grade C category, with 10 new inclusions.
The contracts for the 2023-24 season will be applicable from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024. Players who meet the minimum criteria for Test, ODI, or T20I matches within this period will be automatically included in the Grade C category on a pro-rata basis.
The selection committee has also recommended a new category – Fast Bowling contracts – including Akash Deep, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal, and Vidwath Kaverappa.
The announcement sets the stage for an exciting season ahead, with players vying for top honors and aiming to secure their places in the national team through stellar performances in domestic and international cricket.
