Despite the BCCI's mandate to prioritise domestic cricket, the T20 World Cup is dominating the cricketing schedule this year. Following Ishan Kishan's noteworthy absence from the Ranji Trophy, Shreyas Iyer seems to be following suit. Iyer, who had previously played in the Test series against England, decided to withdraw from the Rajkot Test owing to alleged back stiffness. His absence from the Rajkot game was due to his need for adequate treatment, which led to his placement in the NCA for rehabilitation.

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Shreyas Iyer made himself unavailable for the Ranji Trophy

The head of sports science and medicine at the National Cricket Academy, Nitin Patel, sent an email to selectors the day after Test player Shreyas Iyer informed the Mumbai Cricket Association that he was unavailable for selection in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals, reassuring them that Iyer was deemed fit and that there were no new injury concerns.

According to several reports, the Mumbai Cricket Association, Iyer cited back problems for his absence from Friday's Ranji Trophy quarter-final matchup against Baroda. But according to the email that The Indian Express was able to get, Patel wrote:

“Shreyas Iyer was fit and available for selection as per the handover report of the Indian team after the 2nd Test match against England. There are currently no fresh injuries reported as well after his departure from Team India.”

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Jay Shah, the secretary of the BCCI, recently issued a warning to India A and centrally-contracted players about the dire repercussions of missing domestic matches. A key match between Jharkhand and Rajasthan was played without Ishan Kishan, the wicket-keeper who pulled out of the South Africa Test series due to personal reasons.  In a letter sent to premier cricket players last Friday, BCCI Secretary Shah underlined the significance of domestic cricket as a vital factor in the selection of the national squad. The letter from the BCCI secretary read: 

“There is a recent trend that has started to emerge and is a cause for concern. Some players have begun prioritising the IPL over domestic cricket, a shift that was not anticipated. Domestic cricket has always been the foundation upon which Indian cricket stands, and it has never been undervalued in our vision for the sport,” 

“Domestic cricket forms the backbone of Indian cricket and serves as the feeder line to Team India.”

“Our vision for Indian cricket has been clear from the outset – every cricketer aspiring to play for India must prove themselves in domestic cricket. Performance in domestic cricket remains a critical yardstick for selection and non-participation in domestic cricket will carry severe implications,”