Jay Shah writes to top Indian cricketers to warn regarding missing domestic cricket leading to ‘severe implications’

The Indian Cricket Board Secretary Jay Shah on Friday wrote a letter to the centrally contracted and India A players stressing the importance of domestic cricket. The letter highlights that domestic tournaments are a crucial criterion for selection to the national team and non-participation in it will have “severe implications”.

There has been a lot of talk in the Indian cricket circuit recently as several top cricketers including Ishan Kishan are known to have skipped the ongoing Ranji Trophy. The governing body noticed that the players were prioritising the Indian Premier League (IPL) over domestic red-ball cricket, forcing Shah to sound a warning bell to the players.

“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,” he said in the letter.

“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,” the letter added.

Ishan Kishan’s absence from Ranji Trophy leaves the board frustrated

While Shah mentioned that the board is proud of the popularity and success of the IPL, he also reminded the players to prioritise the Ranji Trophy to step into the national team. Notably, earlier this week, he had made it clear that the board would not tolerate any tantrums and excuses from centrally contracted players who wish to skip domestic red-ball cricket.

These concerns came into more focus after Kishan, Shreyas Iyer and Deepak Chahar missed the final league match of the Ranji Trophy season. India’s young wicket-keeper batter did not feature in a single match this season and was instead spotted training in Baroda for the upcoming IPL. He is likely to be punished for violating the instructions of the board and head coach Rahul Dravid.