BCCI released a list of annual players, who got removed from the Central Contract for 2023-24, on 28 February 2024. However, Indian captain Rohit Sharma remains in Grade A+, along with Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah.
The selection committee of fast bowling has offered contracts to Kash Deep, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal, and Vidwath Kaverappa.
The BCCI has also announced that all athletes to prioritize domestic cricket when they are not representing the national team.
With this, there are some names as well, that have been removed from the central contracts list for the 2023-24 season by BCCI. Here are some surprising names of the players who got removed from the BCCI Central Contract.
7 Cricketers Who have been Removed from BCCI Central Contracts
1. Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan is an Indian international cricketer player, who plays as a wicket-keeper batsman for the Indian national cricket team. He is the main character with an agonistic name, that’s why BCCI announced that all central players need to play Domestic cricket.
Since December 2022, Ishan Kishan has the part of the Indian team and spent the entire 2023 with the blue team. He also made his first debut in the West Indies in March 2021 against England. After coming back from the South Africa tour, he has gone incognito despite Indian team management.
BCCI keeps insisting Ishan Kishan play the Ranji Trophy for Jharkhand. Ishan Kishan was in Grade C, where his earnings were 1 crore and match fees for the entire season.
2. Shreyas Iyer
Along with Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer also has to face the anger of the BCCI for not following their directions for playing in the Ranji Trophy. After spending 6 months out because of his back injury, he made his India return in the Asia Cup 2023.
In the Asia Cup and World Cup, he played as the main player, although his batting got exposed in South Africa tests. In 2024, he played against England twice and failed to perform. Shreyas Iyer also missed the rest series, after complaining about back issues and spasms.
However, the Medical head of NCA has stated that Shreyas Iyer was fully fit and ready to resume as well, to the board. Shreyas Iyer was in the Grade B contract, where he earned 3 crores, plus match fees.
3. Cheteshwar Pujara
In the order of number, Cheteshwar Pujara stands at 3 in tests. He last played a test match in the ICC WTC final against Australia in 2023, since then the management has given up on him.
However, with BCCI removing Cheteshwar Pujara from the central contract, now the door of his return seems closed finally. From 2012-2023, he played a total of 103 tests and 5 ODIs for India.
Overall, he made 7195 runs with 19 test hundreds to his name an average of 43.60 and the best score of 206*. Cheteshwar Pujara had a Grade B category in the season of 2023-2024, in which he earned 3 crore.
4. Umesh Yadav
Umesh Yadav is another player, who has got eliminated from the BCCI Central Contracts for 2023-24. He is one of the best fast bowlers, who led to Indian pace attack for a long time.
With the comeback of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, and others, Umesh Yadav was sidelined by the Indian team.
He has played 57 tests, in which he picked 170 wickets with a best of 6/88, and in 75 ODIs, where he took 106 wickets with a best of 4/31.
His Indian debut was in 2010 and his last game in the ICC WTC final against Australia in 2023 at the Oval. He had secured his position in Grade C in the Central contract in season 2022-2023.
Also Read : Indian Cricketers Who Received Maiden Central Contracts for 2023-24
5. Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan is a left-handed batsman for the Indian cricket team and even captains the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League. He played earlier for India in 2023 in Bangladesh and formerly on the West Indies tour, captained the Indian team.
After the Bangladesh tour, India opted for Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Ishan Kishan as opening options for captain. He tried his best to hold his position, although he was also not even considered for the 2023 Asian Games. Shikhar Dhawan played 34 tests, 167 ODIs, and 68 T20Is so far for India from 2010-2022.
The position he held is in Grade C in the season of 2022-23.
6. Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal is the next Indian cricketer to be removed from BCCI Central Contracts in 2023-24. He plays for the Indian cricket team as a leg spin bowler.
The last game he played was an ODI for India in January 2023 and a T20I in August 2023. After returning Kuldeep Yadav fell from his position, as the management of the Indian team opted to play with wrist spinner only.
In addition, Yuzvendra Chahal was ignored for two T20 World Cups and the ODI World Cup in India. Also, he won’t be considered for the Asian Cup 2023 and hasn’t been selected for any matches since the West Indies tour.
In the Grade C contract in season 2022-23, Chahal held his position very well, but his luck was not with him in the 2023-24 season.
7. Deepak Hooda
Deepak Hooda is also out of the BCCI Central Contracts for 2023-24. He was an outstanding player in 2022 where he hit his maiden T20I hundred in Ireland, for India.
His last outstanding match was in February 2023, when he played against New Zealand. In the year 2023, he played 6 T20Is, however, he only scored just 66 runs with a best of 41*.
Due to his poor outing in 2023 IPL and other domestic matches he was out from the 2023-24 Central Contract. In the season of 2022-2023, he was positioned in Grade C, in which his earning was 1 crore with match fees for the entire season.
