In a candid revelation Team India batter and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Shreyas Iyer opened up about the recent fitness controversy and other related issues that led to his exclusion from the BCCIs central contract list. Iyer humorously remarked that the crux of the problem lay in the realm of miscommunication.
KKR claimed their third IPL championship under Shreyas Iyer leadership outclassing Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) with an eightwicket victory in the 2024 editions final at the prestigious MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Opting to bowl first Kolkata effectively dismantled Hyderabads batting lineup restricting them to 113 runs in 18.3 overs before efficiently chasing down the target in just 10.3 overs.
Shreyas explained on his YouTube channel that he wants to take a vacation following a successful ODI World Cup to improve on his health. However, everything went wrong owing to certain communication difficulties.
“I had a terrific World Cup and I wanted to take a break after that and wanted to work on my body and build some strength around certain area. Due to lack of communication, there were some decisions, that didn’t go in my favour.”
Shreyas Iyer
He insisted, however, that he was only concerned with winning the Ranji Trophy and the IPL, not with what had happened previously.
“I realized that the bat is going to be in my hand and it’s on me to perform and win trophies. I decided that once I win Ranji Trophy and IPL that would be an apt answer for whatever happened in the past and thankfully everything fell to right place. I am grateful, how it happened.”
Shreyas Iyer
The Kolkata Knight Riders captain excelled by scoring 351 runs across 14 matches in IPL 2024 at an impressive strike rate of 146.86 including two halfcenturies. Prior to this outstanding performance he delivered a notable 95 runs off 111 balls in the Ranji Trophy 2024 final representing Mumbai against Vidarbha.
Why Shreyas Iyer was not handed a BCCI central contract
Shreyas, who has struggled with fitness, was part of India’s opening two Tests against England. He was pulled from the team for the next three games due to his poor performance.
The BCCI particularly requested that centrally contracted Indian players play domestic cricket if they were not injured. Shreyas skipped the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals because to conflicting information. Some said he dropped out of the game, while others claimed he was nursing a back problem.
While announcing the latest list of centrally contracted players, the BCCI excluded Shreyas and stated in an official press release that local cricket was required for those who wanted to play for the national team.