Ranji games may become mandatory post Ishan issue

Ishan Kishan. Pic/Satej Shinde

Jharkhand keeper-batter Ishan Kishan's reluctance to play first-class cricket and focus only on the IPL could prompt the BCCI to make a minimum number of Ranji Trophy games mandatory for players in order to be eligible for the cash-rich league's lucrative auction pool.

It has been learnt that BCCI brass has already instructed Kishan to play Jharkhand's last group league game against Rajasthan in Jamshedpur, starting February 16. The manner in which Kishan had skipped match after match after returning midway from South Africa tour citing "travel fatigue" hasn't exactly gone down well with men who matter in the Indian cricket establishment.

Also Read: Doors closing on Ishan Kishan?

More so after it was found that he is training in Baroda with his new MI skipper Hardik Pandya while his state team is languishing near bottom of Group ‘A' table. There is a general consensus that a strict policy need to be adhered to so that a group of young players don't make "playing IPL to IPL" a habit.

"The decision makers in BCCI are well aware that some players don't want to play any red ball cricket. If they are out of Indian team, they would at best play a few Mushtaq Ali T20 games and then not report for state team duty during red ball season," a senior BCCI official said.

"To rein in such players, board in all likelihood will make it mandatory to play 3-4 Ranji Trophy games, failing which, they can't play IPL or even appear in IPL auction if released by their franchise.

"The state units feel unless the diktat comes from top of BCCI, some of the young stars will treat Ranji Trophy with disdain."

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