When BCCI announced the list of centrally contracted players for the 2023-24 season last year, it came as a huge surprise to many when two top-notch names, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan, were dismissed. The reason that came into the spotlight was that both players had refused to participate in domestic matches despite being instructed by the board.
However, things have now completely changed, and many reports indicate that Shreyas Iyer will be included in the contract once again, with a strong possibility for Ishan Kishan as well. However, these are still speculations, as nothing has been confirmed yet.
What is certain, though, is that among the players currently on the list, a few names might be dropped from the central contract. But who are those players? Take a look at all the superstar names who may get dropped from the centrally contracted list for the 2024-25 season.
Players who could be dropped from BCCI central contract
KS Bharat
31-year-old Srikar Bharat‘s removal from the central contract list looks possible, and there are quite a few reasons for it. Firstly, Rishabh Pant is back and is currently India’s regular Test wicketkeeper. On top of that, the team also has Dhruv Jurel, who has been consistently performing well in whites for India.
Bharat, who has played seven Test matches, hasn’t had much to show in terms of his batting, scoring just 221 runs at an average of 20.09.
Ruturaj Gaikwad
If we look at the case of the current CSK captain, who also led India in the Asian Games, Ruturaj Gaikwad, there is no doubt about his importance. However, he has been out of action for some time, and chances are that he may get dropped, considering the criteria for inclusion in the contract list.
The criteria require a player to have played at least three Tests, eight ODIs, or ten T20Is in a calendar year. Gaikwad has not met these conditions, which means we may see him getting excluded. However, there are certainly exceptions, so we cannot jump to a conclusion just yet. Still, many reports indicate the possible exclusion of Ruturaj Gaikwad.
R Ashwin
One name that is certain to be dropped from the contract list is legendary spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, and the only reason for that is his retirement. It is clear that when the list is released, we will not see his name, as the veteran is no longer playing for India.
Ashwin, who represented India in all formats, served Indian cricket for 14 years. In red-ball cricket, he took 537 wickets, making him India’s second-highest wicket-taker. His retirement made big headlines, as he announced it after the third Test match in Brisbane during the Australia tour.
Mukesh Kumar
It looks like Team India has already moved on from Mukesh Kumar. The right-arm fast bowler, who was previously part of India’s team in all formats, was included in Grade C of the previous central contract.
But since Harshit Rana has come into the lineup, we haven’t heard much about Mukesh Kumar. In fact, he last played for India in a T20I game against Zimbabwe in July, and since then, he has been out.
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