Shreyas Iyer could have been automatically reinstated to the BCCI contract list, had he played more than eight ODIs before September 2024. Notably, since February 2024, when the contract list was announced, the 30-year-old has scored 369 runs and has arguably sealed his spot at No 4 in ODI cricket.
Despite having a stunning ODI World Cup 2023, where he scored 530 runs in 11 matches, Iyer was dropped from the central contract in February 2024. The BCCI officials and the selection committee weren’t happy with Iyer missing the Ranji Trophy semi-final against Tamil Nadu and decided to axe him.
While announcing the list of contracted players in February 2024, BCCI clarified that the players who missed out will automatically be added if they go on to play a minimum of 3 Tests or 8 ODIs or 10 T20Is. The likes of Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan from the policy, as they earned contracts after playing three Tests. Similarly, Shreyas could also have benefited had he played more than eight ODIs until September 30, 2024.
“Athletes who meet the criteria of playing a minimum of 3 Tests or 8 ODIs or 10 T20Is within the specified period will automatically be included in Grade C on a pro-rata basis,” BCCI said in a press release.
Since February 2024, the 30-year-old has played nine ODI matches, including India’s last league game against New Zealand in the ongoing Champions Trophy. With that, he ideally should have automatically earned himself a ‘Grade C’ contract but BCCI clarified that the contract is valid until September 30, which rules out his chances.
In his last nine ODI matches, Iyer has scored 369 runs and has arguably sealed the number 4 spot. After the first ODI against England in February, the Mumbai-born confirmed that he was not considered for the position as the team management wanted to have the opening combination of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma. Nevertheless, Shreyas proved his mettle and cemented his spot in the playing XI.
In the opening game of the Champions Trophy, he scored 15 against Bangladesh, followed by an excellent half-century against Pakistan. Against New Zealand, when India were reduced to 30/3, he and Axar stitched a vital partnership of 98 runs to bring the team back into the contest. Shreyas eventually departed scoring 79 runs off 98 deliveries
