Hardik Pandya to play white-ball domestic tournaments: Jay Shah

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah recently provided updates on several key issues. Among the major points he addressed was the lack of any decision on IPL retentions for the next cycle and star all-rounder Hardik Pandya agreeing to play domestic white-ball tournaments.

Shah's revelation came after the discussions around the annual central contracts awarded by the BCCI for the 2024-25 season. While Pandya was upgraded to a Grade A central contract despite recent fitness issues, promising talents like Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan missed out, potentially due to their decision to prioritise IPL over domestic cricket when not on national duty.

A key confirmation from Shah was that Hardik, one of India's most valuable white-ball players, will participate in domestic white-ball tournaments like the Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. 

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Impact player was a test case: Jay Shah

The BCCI Secretary also brushed aside recent rumors of discussions to revive the discontinued Champions League T20 tournament. Shah categorically stated no such talks are happening at the board level.

Other updates provided by Shah included the structure of domestic cricket being finalised soon and the BCCI's High-Performance Centre at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru becoming operational from August this year.

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Shah also stated that IPL franchises have not yet been informed of the retention rules and policies for the next cycle. This keeps both teams and fans in suspense about the potential player retention strategies.

"Impact player was a test case. Two new Indian players are getting a chance in the IPL, We will discuss with the stakeholders - franchises, and broadcasters - before deciding on the continuation of the Impact Player. It's not permanent, but no one has provided feedback against the rule," he said as quoted by Cricbuzz.

While Shah remained tight-lipped about speculation linking him to the ICC chairmanship role later this year, he indicated the World Test Championship final could potentially be held outside England to enhance its profile.