Ishan Kishan missed his opportunity to make an appearance in the Ranji Trophy amid the BCCI contract row after his domestic side Jharkhand suffered a group-stage exit. But with Mumbai advancing to the final stage, Shreyas Iyer appeared in the semis and in the summit clash against Vidarbha, where he scored a brilliant 95 in the second innings to help his side clinch the title. If reports are believed to be true, Iyer’s act has left BCCI thinking if they should reinstate his central contract.
Iyer, along with Ishan, were dropped from the annual retainers for the 2023/24 season, after they disregarded the board’s order to not prioritise IPL over domestic cricket. However, it was later reported that the middle-order batter had suffered a back spasm after being released from the Indian Test side midway through the England series owing to a poor run of from, which led to him missing the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal match, although the NCA had cleared him fit.
Iyer later joined the Mumbai side, after having recovered from the injury at Kolkata Knight Riders’ camp in Mumbai, ahead of the semifinal match. He struggled in his first three innings with bowlers exploiting his weakness against short ball, but Iyer bounced back strongly in the final to score 95 in front of India captain Rohit Sharma, who was at Wankhede Stadium to support his side.
According to a report in Revsportz, sources in the BCCI have hinted that Iyer’s Ranji Trophy appearances have left board officials thinking if they should put his name back in the annual retainers. Not to forget, Iyer had previously participated in then ongoing Ranji Trophy season to prepare for the England Test series. He had scored 48 runs in a league game against Andhra earlier in January.
The back pain had resurfaced during the Ranji Trophy final yet again for Iyer, which sparked fears that he might miss the first few games for KKR in the impending IPL 2024 season. He had not taken the field on the fourth and fifth day of the match, but it was revealed to be a precautionary measure from Mumbai.
Multiple reports on Friday revealed that Iyer is in the fray to play for KKR right from the start of the season. The two-time champions will begin their campaign against 2016 winners Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 23.
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Hasibur Rahaman is a passionate sports journalist. He covers everything from cricket to field hockey, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis of sporting events, both within India and on the international stage.
