As BCCI announces annual retainership, Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer lose central contracts
On Wednesday, February 28, the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) announced the annual retainership for the senior men's team cricketers for the 2023–24 cycle. In a big move, the national body removed Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan from the annual retainership contract list, despite both of them featuring in the ODI World Cup campaign of Team India last year.
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravinra Jadeja were retained in the top bracket (A+) as 30 players were included in the central contract list. Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan have been removed from the annual retainership contract after they missed the majority of the ongoing domestic cricket season.
While Ishan Kishan was in Grade C, Shreyas Iyer was in Grade B of the retainership contracts for the 2022–23 season.
"Please note that Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were not considered for the annual contracts in this round of recommendations," the BCCI said in a statement, adding that the board has directed the players to "give precedence to participating in domestic cricket during periods when they are not representing the national team."