'I was surprised by his decision' - Sourav Ganguly expresses concerns over Ishan Kishan backing out from Ranji Trophy

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly expressed his surprise at Ishan Kishan's decision to not play Ranji Trophy this season, after being excluded from the BCCI central contracts. The BCCI recently announced central contracts, omitting notable players like Kishan and Shreyas Iyer. Kishan made himself unavailable for domestic cricket since the Test series against the Proteas in South Africa last year.

Ishan's absence from the premier domestic tournament has raised pertinent questions about the commitment of players to the traditional format of the game. Ganguly emphasized the importance of contracted players participating in premier tournaments like the Ranji Trophy, considering it to be a fundamental aspect of cricketing culture in India.

Also read: Irfan Pathan reflects on Ishan Kishan-Shreyas Iyer’s central contract snub

You are supposed to play first-class cricket: Sourav Ganguly

Kishan had cited mental fatigue as the reason for taking a break from domestic and international cricket. When asked about Kishan skipping the Ranji Trophy, Ganguly responded:

"You are supposed to play first-class cricket. Once you are a contracted player, you are expected to play in the premier tournament. Shreyas Iyer is playing in the semi-final for Mumbai in a couple of days. Yes, they are young people and Ishan has surprised me. He was part of the Indian team in all formats. Such a big contract in IPL. I don’t know why he has done that. You must play especially when you are as gifted as Ishan Kishan. When you are playing for India in all formats, you must play. I was surprised by his decision not to," Ganguly told RevSportz in an interview.

Furthermore, Ganguly also supported the BCCI's decision to exclude both Iyer and Kishan from the central contracts.

"I think the BCCI wants them to play first-class cricket. I am surprised that Shreyas Iyer has not played Ranji Trophy. It is a premier tournament and you are supposed to play. So, it is a decision by the BCCI and what they have thought right, they have done. Every contracted cricketer must play first-class cricket because that is the basic premise of cricket in this country, he added.

Also read: Ravi Shastri’s strong message to Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan after contract snub

The BCCI's decision to exclude players like Kishan and Iyer from central contracts may be viewed as a measure to emphasize the importance of first-class cricket. While Iyer will be playing in the Ranji Trophy semi-final game for Mumbai against Tamil Nadu, Kishan was also seen playing a match in the DY Patil T20 Cup 2024 for RBI along with Hardik Pandya.