Jharkhand's star wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan's reluctance to participate in First-Class cricket and focus solely on the IPL may prompt the BCCI to consider implementing a mandatory minimum number of Ranji Trophy matches for players to qualify for the cash-rich league's lucrative auction pool.
Sources privy to the development, stated that the BCCI has already instructed Kishan to participate in Jharkhand's final group league match against Rajasthan in Jamshedpur, commencing on February 16.
Ishan Kishan's absence from Ranji Trophy draws BCCI's attention
Kishan's repeated absence from matches following his early return from the South Africa tour, citing "travel fatigue," has raised concerns among key figures in the Indian cricket hierarchy. Also, it has come to light that he is training in Baroda with his new Mumbai Indians captain, Hardik Pandya, while his state team is struggling near the bottom of the Group A table.
There is a prevailing sentiment that a stringent policy must be implemented to prevent a trend among young players of prioritizing the IPL at the expense of other formats of the game.
"The decision makers in BCCI are well aware that some players don't want to play any red ball cricket. If they are out of Indian team, they would at best play a few Mushtaq Ali T20 games and then not report for state team duty during red ball season," a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
"To rein in such players, board in all likelihood will make it mandatory to play 3-4 Ranji Trophy games, failing which, they can't play IPL or even appear in IPL auction if released by their franchise.
"The state units feel unless the diktat comes from top of BCCI, some of the young stars will treat Ranji Trophy with disdain," the source added.
BCCI not happy with players skipping Ranji Trophy
It is apparent that even the Indian team's management is frustrated with a players who consistently show reluctance to participate in the Ranji Trophy, even when they are physically fit.
"We can understand Hardik Pandya's case as his body can't take the rigours of red ball cricket. He can't withstand the workload of Test cricket and India needs him fit for ICC events.
"But some of the other youngsters, whenever you call them, they will cite that they are currently doing physio work. There needs to be a stop somewhere," the official said.
It will be intriguing to see whether Kishan ultimately departs from his "new training location" in Baroda and returns to Jamshedpur for Jharkhand's last match of the tournament.
No Workload Management Directives to IPL Teams?
With the ICC T20 World Cup in the Americas commencing on June 1 and India's inaugural match set for June 5 in New York, the workload management of India's core players during the IPL, tentatively scheduled between March 22 and May 26, will be critical.
Nevertheless, it has been reported that Indian players will not receive any workload management instructions during the IPL, as it would be unfair to the franchises who are paying significant sums for the services of these star Indian players.
There is speculation that the BCCI may arrange for players whose teams do not qualify for the IPL playoffs to depart earlier for New York, with those involved in the knockout stages joining them after the conclusion of the tournament.
(WITH PTI INPUTS)
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