BCCI secretary Jay Shah has opined that centrally-contracted India players should play domestic cricket to make themselves available for the selection for the national team.
Shah asserted that the board is really happy with the Indian Premier League's success over the years. However, he said that players prioritising domestic cricket over IPL was not anticipated.
"However, there is a 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," Jay Shah wrote in the letter addressed to players as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
‘Domestic cricket forms the backbone of Indian cricket’
The BCCI secretary further stated that the board have a clear vision from the start that whoever aspires to play for India should play domestic cricket first.
"It is essential to recognise that 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 tournaments remains a critical yardstick for selection, and non-participation in domestic cricket will carry severe implications," the 35-year-old added.
This letter is for players like Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, and Deepak Chahar, who have recently been absent from India's squads for several reasons.
Iyer possesses a Grade B BCCI contract, whereas Kishan holds a Grade C contract. Chahar was not included in the last BCCI contract renewals.
The last time Ishan played for India was in the T20I format against Australia in Guwahati, following that he failed to make his place in the first eleven. The 25-year-old was in the T20I squad in South Africa in December 2023 but did not take part in any of the three games.
Last year, he was the wicketkeeper on India's tour of the West Indies, but Ishan was not taken into consideration for the ongoing Test series against England. He also did not take part in the ongoing Ranji Trophy.
On the other hand, Iyer was dropped from the India squad for the last three Tests after playing the first two Test of the five-match series against England where he managed to score just 35 runs in the matches played at Hyderabad and Vizag.
Coming to Chahar, Chahar withdrew from the final T20I against Australia and the subsequent tour of South Africa when his father suffered a stroke, and it is unclear whether he is available or not for selection.
