Shreyas Iyer's torrid form continued in the Ranji Trophy semifinal between Mumbai and Tamil Nadu, as he yet again failed to make an impact with his batting following his exclusion from the BCCI's Central Contract list. Despite high expectations, Iyer was only able to contribute three runs to Mumbai's first innings total against Tamil Nadu.
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Shreyas bears BCCI's brunt in Central Contract
The exclusion of Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan from the BCCI Central Contracts for 2023-24 was attributed to their lack of participation in domestic cricket matches. Jay Shah and Rahul Dravid have emphasised the importance of playing in domestic competitions to stay in consideration for the national team.
Iyer returned to action for the first time since his contract termination during the Ranji Trophy semifinal. His previous appearance was in the India versus England's second Test in Vizag, after which he was dropped from the national team due to back spasms. It was reported that Iyer did not properly communicate his fitness status to the NCA, which subsequently deemed him fit. Despite his complaints of back issues, Iyer did not play in domestic matches but joined the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) camp to improve his fitness and game strategy, leading to his exclusion from the BCCI Central contract.
Shreyas falters in Ranji Trophy semifinal
In his Ranji Trophy comeback, Iyer was expected to make a statement against the selectors and the BCCI with his performance. Unfortunately, he was unable to do so, scoring only 3 runs off 8 balls before being dismissed by Sandeep Warrier off a short ball. In the match, Tamil Nadu was bowled out for 146 runs on the first day. Mumbai's innings also saw a collapse, with the exception of young Musheer Khan, who scored an unbeaten fifty. As of 51 overs, Mumbai are reeling at 121/7 in response to Tamil Nadu's lowly 146.
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