Sourav Ganguly, former BCCI President, has strongly cautioned Shreyas Iyer regarding his apparent disinterest in participating in the Ranji Trophy. Ganguly's response follows the recent termination of Iyer and Ishan Kishan's central contracts by the BCCI. It seems that Iyer and Kishan may have intentionally avoided playing domestic cricket for their teams even after being released from the national squad. Despite warnings from the BCCI, their stance remained unchanged, leading to the revocation of their annual contracts by the board.

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Sourav Ganguly warns Shreyas Iyer

In response to the recent developments, Sourav Ganguly expressed surprise at Shreyas Iyer's absence from domestic cricket matches. Ganguly emphasized the significance of the Ranji Trophy as a premier tournament, highlighting that players are expected to actively participate in it. He supported the BCCI's decision to terminate contracts of players who neglect their commitment to red-ball cricket at the domestic level.

"I think the BCCI wants them to play first-class cricket. I am surprised why Shreyas Iyer has not played Ranji Trophy. It is a premier tournament and you are supposed to play. So, it is a decision by BCCI and what they have thought right they have done. Every contracted cricketer must play first-class cricket because that is the basic premise of cricket in this country," Ganguly was quoted as saying on Revsportz. 

Shreyas Iyer has been included in Mumbai's squad for the upcoming Ranji Trophy semi-final against Tamil Nadu. This decision appears to have come a little late by Iyer, as had he done so earlier, he might have avoided this situation. Notably, Iyer showcased outstanding performance for Team India during the 2023 ODI World Cup, amassing 530 runs in 11 matches, which included two centuries and three half-centuries.

Sourav Ganguly also commented on Ishan Kishan's contract termination by the BCCI, expressing surprise at Kishan's choice to skip the Ranji Trophy. Ganguly highlighted Kishan's exceptional talent as a player and his status as an all-format star for Team India before the BCCI's decision on Wednesday.

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"You are supposed to play first class cricket. Once you are a contracted player, you are expected to play the Premier tournament. Shreyas Iyer is playing the semi-final for Mumbai in a couple of days’ time. Yes, they are young people and Ishan has surprised me. He was part of the Indian team in all formats. Such a big contract in IPL. I don’t know why he has done that. You must play especially when you are as gifted as Ishan Kishan. When you are playing for India in all formats, you must play. I was surprised by his decision not to," Ganguly added.