The secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Jay Shah, recently sent a letter to all Indian players, including those under central contracts and those playing for India A, informing them that the domestic red-ball tournaments are still an important selection criteria and that players who choose not to participate in them will face harsh consequences.
In the letter, Jay Shah expressed his opinion that domestic cricket should always be an Indian cricketer’s top priority, citing some players’ preference for the Indian Premier League (IPL) above the Ranji Trophy. Jay Shah noted that this trend shift was not predicted.
“A recent pattern that has begun to surface is reason for concern. Unexpectedly, some players have started to place more importance on the IPL than on domestic cricket. In the letter, Shah stated, “Domestic cricket has always been the cornerstone of Indian cricket and has never been undervalued in our vision for the sport.”
From the beginning, our goal for Indian cricket has been very clear: each player who wants to represent their country must excel in domestic cricket. Performance in domestic cricket is still a crucial selection criterion, and missing out on domestic cricket will have dire consequences, he continued.
Domestic cricket was regarded as both a commitment and a duty. Jay Shah
The letter was sent in response to star Indian batter Ishan Kishan’s recent decision to skip the Ranji Trophy matches in order to be ready for the IPL. In response to the 25-year-old’s choice, a number of previous cricket players shared their opinions. It’s also important to note that players like Shreyas Iyer and Deepak Chahar have chosen not to play in the Ranji Trophy’s final round, which began on Friday.
Shah used the actions of previous Indian cricket players, who seized every chance to play for their country in domestic cricket, as examples in his letter.
“This dedication was demonstrated by legends like Sunil Gavaskar, who played club cricket the morning after returning from an international tour. Shah stated that playing domestic cricket was viewed as a duty as well as a source of pride, in addition to being a commitment.
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