(Image source: X.com)
[Saba Sports News] The Board of Cricket for Cricket in India (BCCI) are soon expected to lay down an order, asking its players to play for their respective state sides in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season.
As reported by The Times of India, the BCCI will communicate this to the players, barring the ones who are currently injured or are playing for India in the ongoing Test series against England. The national cricket board is reportedly displeased because of how a few cricketers are already in the IPL mode.
“In the next few days, all the players will be communicated by the BCCI to play for their state team in the Ranji Trophy, as long as they are not on national duty, with only those who are unfit and recovering at the NCA being granted an exemption. The Board isn’t too happy with certain players already in IPL mode from January,” a BCCI source said as quoted to TOI.
This comes on the heels of Ishan Kishan’s continued absence from competitive cricket. Kishan, who last played a match in November, asked for a break ahead of the Test series between India and South Africa.
Since then, he is not played a single competitive game with India head coach Rahul Dravid iterating that the wicketkeeper-batter would need to provide himself in a professional match before making his return to the national team.
Although Kishan ignore Dravid’s advice as he is yet to appear in the Ranji Trophy 2023-24, he was spotted training with the Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya, who is recovering from an injury, in Baroda.
Kishan is now expected to return to action in IPL 2024 while playing for the Hardik-led Mumbai Indians.