"Players must play first-class cricket" - Sourav Ganguly on Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan's central contracts were terminated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The aforementioned names were among the notable absentees from the list announced by the Indian board on Wednesday, February 28.

Reacting to the same, former BCCI president and India captain Sourav Ganguly opined that Iyer and Kishan's reluctance to play domestic cricket may have been the reason behind the recent developments.

Suggesting that all Indian players must give importance to first-class cricket, Ganguly said during an interview with Revsportz:

"I think the BCCI wants them (Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan) to play first-class cricket. I'm surprised why Shreyas Iyer hasn't played Ranji Trophy. It's a premier tournament, Ranji Trophy, and you're supposed to play."

He added:

"So, it's a decision by the BCCI, and what they thought [was] right, they've done it. But players must play first-class cricket. That's the basic basis of cricket in this country."

While Shreyas Iyer has been named in Mumbai's squad for their upcoming Ranji Trophy 2024 semifinal against Tamil Nadu, Ishan Kishan is playing in the ongoing DY Patil T20 Cup in Mumbai.

Expressing his surprise at Kishan missing Ranji Trophy matches, Ganguly added:

"That's wrong. You're supposed to play first-class cricket. It's a premier tournament of your country and you're a contracted player. Once you're a contracted player, you're expected to play. Shreyas Iyer is playing the semifinal for Bombay in a couple of days time. Ishan Kishan has surprised me. He was a part of the Indian team in all formats, Test cricket, 50-over cricket, such a big contract in IPL, so I don't know why he has done that."

Kishan has been absent from the national team since opting out of the South Africa Test series, citing mental fatigue. Iyer, on the other hand, featured in the first two Tests of the ongoing five-match home series against England, but was removed from the roster for the last three fixtures.

---

"I made him the captain because I saw the talent in him" - Sourav Ganguly on Rohit Sharma's leadership

Sourav Ganguly is mighty impressed with how Rohit Sharma has led the Indian team across formats since taking over the captaincy reins from Virat Kohli.

Speaking about Sharma's stint as the skipper, Ganguly mentioned that he was always confident in the seasoned campaigner's leadership abilities. He stated:

"He's (Rohit Sharma) a fantastic captain. Look at the way he captained in the World Cup, taking India to the finals, and I think India was the best team in the competition till they lost the final. He's a good captain, IPL trophies, I'm not surprised with the way he led."

Ganguly added:

"He became the captain when I was the president, and I'm not surprised with the way he's led the team. I made him the captain because I saw the talent in him."

Following a heartbreaking 28-run loss in Hyderabad, India have made a stunning comeback in the England Test series, securing three wins on the trot to gain an unassailable 3-1 lead with one match still to go.