Mr Roger Binny, The Iron Fist Policy Is Not Done!

Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan have received the short end of the stick — not offered the annual retainership —  for not showing commitment to the Ranji Trophy tournament. Iyer has to face the consequence because he did not play against Baroda and Kishan, not a match this ongoing 2023-2024 season. Iyer played against Andhra a month ago.  The tournament began in the first week of January 2024 and the BCCI issued an advisory to its members in mid-February that players with annual retainership must play in the premier tournament when not on duty for India. So it’s the whims and fancies of someone in the system responsible for the   “must play Ranji Trophy” idea being introduced mid-way through the tournament that has advanced to the semi-final stage; unfair to the players of the teams taking part in the tournament. India Head Coach Rahul Dravid was the one who went public saying that Kishan could come back (after taking a break from national duty in South Africa) after playing in the Ranji Trophy.  The mid-season rule would not have come about without the knowledge of Dravid and the India captain Rohit Sharma. Just because they were seen training allegedly with their IPL teams is a flimsy reason not to consider them for the annual retainership. The BCCI with World Cup star Roger Binny as its president ought to have shown sagacity and dealt with it in a better way, and not by showing its iron fist.