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'Not Fair At All,' Ex-RCB Star's Verdict On Country vs Franchise Debate Ft. Ishan & Shreyas Iyer

Iyer and Ishan were excluded from BCCI central contract [X.com]Iyer and Ishan were excluded from BCCI central contract [X.com]

Renowned Indian cricketers Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer recently missed out on the Central Contract announced by the BCCI a few days ago. 

Thirty Indian cricketers, categorised in four grades, made it to the list, but Iyer and Ishan were excluded due to their reluctance to feature in the Ranji Trophy 2024. 

While Ishan skipped the red-ball games for IPL preparations with Hardik Pandya, Iyer was associated with the Knight Riders squad instead of representing Mumbai in the famed domestic tournament. 

In such a scenario, people around the world questioned their commitment towards the country, as they seemed to prioritise their franchises more than the national side. 

As the country versus franchise debate has intensified, former Indian speedster Praveen Kumar has shared his opinion on the matter. 

As quoted by the Times of India, Kumar reckoned that the players must prioritise money, but not at the expense of their country. 

"I have been saying this for long. Paisa kamao, kaun mana kar rha hai? Paisa kamane chahiye lekin aise bhi nahi hona chahiye ki aap domestic nahi khel rahe, country ko importance nahi de rahe. (Earn money, who is stopping you? But it shouldn't be like you are not playing for the country or domestic cricket)," Kumar said. 

He also gave an insight into the players' tendency to rest before the IPL, calling it unfair and wrong on moral grounds. 

"This thing is now firmly in the mind of players. Mai ek mahine pehle rest kar lunga, fir IPL khel lunga. Ye mentally hota hai, ki mai itne paise kaise chhorun (I will rest for a month before the IPL and then play. This happens because mentally you are not willing to let go of that much money). But this is not fair at all. Money is important, but this (giving franchise cricket the priority) is wrong," he concluded. 

Immediately after the BCCI terminated his contract, Iyer featured in the Ranji Trophy, recording a poor outing in the semifinal against Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, Ishan is all set to return during the IPL 2024, representing Mumbai Indians in the competition.