"Needed to protect domestic cricket": '83 WC winning hero on BCCI's stance to omit Ishan-Shreyas from receiving central contracts

The Indian Cricket Board recently put out a strong stance after omitting star cricketers Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from the recent list of the BCCI Central Contracts. The board had placed emphasis on the necessity to play domestic cricket, rather than chasing lucrative IPL deals which a plethora of youngsters these days seek. 

Ishan had opted out of playing any professional cricket since last year November owing to mental fatigue. While he did not represent the tricolour, Ishan did not participate in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024 too. 

Iyer, on the other hand, cited back pain to skip Ranji after being dropped from the India team following the conclusion of the IND vs ENG 2nd Test. 

Echoing on BCCI's recent diktat and the new list of centrally contracted cricketers, '83 World Cup-winning skipper Kapil Dev supported the Indian board's move. 

Kapil Dev supports BCCI decision

Kapil Dev said in a video to PTI, "Yes, few players will suffer, kuch logon ko taqleef hogi, hone do lekin desh se badhkar koi nahi hai (some people will feel hurt but let it be because nobody is bigger than the country). Well done. I congratulate the BCCI for taking the much needed step to protect the status of domestic cricket. I was sad to see domestic cricket being given the skip by players once they had established themselves in international cricket."

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Moreover, Kapil Dev expressed his gratitude to the BCCI for its decision to increase the pension of retired cricketers, noting that it has provided significant support to the families of numerous former players. In 2022, the BCCI had announced a raise in the monthly pension for retired cricketers, including both male and female players.

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