BCCI Central Contracts: Team India injury crisis – The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced its annual retainer contracts late on Sunday. While most of the announcement has been on the expected lines, the Indian board did spring a few surprises. Sanju Samson and Shikhar Dhawan were awarded a Grade C contract, keeping their 2023 ODI World Cup hopes alive. Follow IPL 2023 LIVE Updates on Insidesport.IN
Ahead of the IPL 2023, Sanju Samson and Shikhar Dhawan have received a huge shot in their arm. Previously not in the plans for the 2023 ODI World Cup, injuries have forced them back into plans. There remains doubt on Shreyas Iyer’s fitness while Rishabh Pant is ruled out of the tournament. Suryakumar Yadav meanwhile has failed to justify his spot in the team.
BCCI Central Contract: Injuries force BCCI hand
- Injuries to Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer have left BCCI in a lurch.
- Suryakumar Yadav’s poor form has further compounded matters.
- With middle-order spots up for grabs, BCCI have awarded Sanju Samson his first-ever deal.
- The RR captain averages 66 in ODIs, and could very well force himself into contention for a World Cup spot.
- Similarly, Shikhar Dhawan also remains in the fray.
- The vetran has not been picked for a game this year, but could return with a good IPL 2023 show.
- Both Shikhar Dhawan and Sanju Samson have been award Grade C (Rs 1 crore) contracts.
That has opened the door for Sanju Samson, who did not feature in the India vs Australia ODI series in March. It is believed Sanju also battled with a niggle and was unavailable for selection. Now fit, the Rajasthan Royals skipper could be in the hunt for a middle order. The Kerala-born batter averages 66 in ODIs and was given his maiden BCCI central contract.
Despite his potential and form, Sanju is far from a regular in either of the two limited-over formats. However, a central contract hints at a possible extended run in the team in the build-up to the World Cup. A good IPL 2023 season should further place him in high regard as India eye solution to their No.4 conundrum.
Sanju also fills in as a wicketkeeper, with KL Rahul currently donning the gloves. It is interesting to note that Rahul was demoted to Grade B after a string of poor performances.
Distribution of Annual Player Contracts Team India (Senior Men)
| Grade | Contract Amount | Name |
| A+ | 7 Cr | Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja |
| A | 5Cr | Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin, Mohd. Shami, Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel |
| B | 3 Cr | Cheteshwar Pujara, K L Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Mohd. Siraj,Suryakumar Yadav, Shubhman Gill |
| C | 1 Cr | Umesh Yadav, Shikhar Dhawan, Shardul Thakur, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, KS Bharat |
The same applies to Shikhar Dhawan. At 37, Dhawan is in the final leg of his cricket career and has one final chance at featuring in a World Cup. He has not featured for India this year, with both Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill taking over his spot in successive months.
Kishan, since his double century in December, has hit patchy form. Dhawan thus could be in the running for the 3rd opener’s slot. Having captained the side on quite a few occasions last year, he remains a popular pick. Furthermore, his record in ICC tournaments is hard to ignore. He has an average of 65 in 18 Champions Trophy and World Cup matches with five centuries.
Both Sanju and Dhawan have been awarded Grade C contracts. The group are generally considered for one of the three formats regularly. Dhawan has been a one-format player since 2021 while Sanju has featured sporadically in ODIs and T20Is. Whether the duo can nail down a place in the 2023 ODI World Cup build-up remains to be seen.
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