What are You Looking for?

Explainer Pant on the rise no room yet for Explainer Pant on the rise no room yet for
ByCricketCrest
January 19, 2024

Explainer – Trousers on the rise, no space yet for Shaw and Agarwal

In a manner reminiscent of the previous year, the final list of 25 BCCI-contracted male cricketers was curated by the national selection panel led by MSK Prasad, comprising five members. The selectors have chosen to recognize players who have made significant progress over the past year and have been consistently impactful performers.

Who is the biggest achiever?

Rishabh Pant. He was not included in the 26 contracted players in 2017-18, but has managed to secure a spot, and has elevated his position to the second tier, following his remarkable performances in international cricket since his Test debut in England last year.
Selected in place of the injured Wriddhiman Saha, Pant scored a century in his third Test during the debut tour of England. More recently, Pant notched up 159 runs against Australia during the New Year’s Test in Sydney, and took 11 catches in the series opener in Adelaide, the highest by an Indian wicketkeeper in Tests.

Pant is currently vying for a spot in India’s World Cup squad. He is part of Grade A, which comes with a retainer worth INR 5 crore. Besides Pant, the category includes R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, MS Dhoni, Shikhar Dhawan, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav.

What are the other significant changes?

The A+ category, valued at INR 7 crore, features only three players: Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma. Bhuvneshwar and Dhawan, who were in the same bracket last time, have been demoted to Grade A. The A bracket now has 11 players compared to seven last year, with Ishant, Shami and Kuldeep Yadav moving up from Grade B.
ESPNcricinfo understands that Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar were not retained in the A+ category due to their inconsistent presence across all three formats in the previous season. Dhawan struggled in the Test format during the tours of South Africa and England and was eventually excluded from the Australia tour, with the selectors opting for Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal as alternatives. Bhuvneshwar was sidelined at the start of the season, and although he was included in the Test squad for Australia, he did not feature in the four-match series that India won 2-1.

Currently out of contention. Vijay was omitted after the second Test in Perth in December, having failed to make an impact upon his return. He lost his Test spot to debutant Agarwal, who incidentally replaced the injured Shaw. Earlier in 2018, Vijay was dropped after the second Test at Lord’s. Shaw scored a century on Test debut against West Indies and followed it up with a half-century in his next outing.

Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal – Are they included?

No, the two of them, along with Vijay Shankar, have not been selected. Shaw was part of the Test squad for the Australia tour but had to return home after an unexpected injury while fielding during a tour match. Agarwal produced two strong half-centuries in three Test innings in Melbourne and Sydney, after being drafted in midway through the tour. Vijay, who secured India a thrilling last-over victory with the ball in the Nagpur ODI against Australia earlier this week, has given the selection panel some welcome selection dilemmas as they consider him for the pool of around 18 players shortlisted for the World Cup. However, he has not been offered a contract yet.

What about Wriddhiman Saha?

Having missed a significant portion of cricket in 2018 due to injuries, Saha, who only recently resumed playing, has been moved from Grade A to Grade C. There have been some new additions to Grade C as well: Ambati Rayudu, Hanuma Vihari and Khaleel Ahmed.

Who have fallen out of favor?

In addition to Vijay, Axar Patel, Karun Nair, Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel and Jayant Yadav – all part of Grade C last time – have been omitted. Among them, Nair and Jayant did not feature in a single international game during the contracted period.

What’s the status of Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul?

The two players, who were briefly suspended by the CoA for their alleged misconduct on a TV chat show, will continue to be part of Grade B (INR 3 crore). On Thursday, the CoA requested Justice DK Jain, the newly-appointed BCCI ombudsman, to investigate the allegations against Pandya and Rahul. According to the BCCI constitution, the ombudsman has the final authority to arbitrate on such matters. Pandya is currently not part of the ongoing ODI series against Australia due to a back injury, but his standing has steadily improved over the last 18 months with the management endorsing him to play in all three formats as the primary allrounder.

ByCricketCrest
Updated on

Read Next

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome to ultimate source for fresh perspectives! Explore curated content to enlighten, entertain and engage global readers.
©️ 2024 — CricketCrest. All Rights Reserved.