Shreyas Iyer seeks redemption in Ranji semifinal after BCCI’s ultimatum

Team India’s out-of-form batsman Shreyas Iyer will reportedly play in the Ranji semifinal clash between Mumbai and Tamil Nadu. As per the latest development, Iyer will hope to change his fortune with Mumbai’s crucial encounter.

The development happened after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) warned centrally-contracted players for not prioritising the Indian Premier League (IPL) over domestic cricket.

Iyer was left out of India’s squad for the last three Tests against Ben Stokes’ England in February. Handing out debuts to domestic stars Sarfaraz Khan, Rajat Patidar and Akash Deep, India not only tested its bench strength, but Rohit Sharma’s men also registered an unassailable 3-1 lead over England in the five-game saga. The Virat Kohli-less side thrashed England by five wickets to seal the series in the 4th Test at Ranchi on Monday.

Notably, BCCI was unhappy with Iyer and Ishan, who prioritised IPL over Test games. The Board ordered them to report to their state teams for Ranji Trophy matches. However, both players ignored the directive and continued their absence from the domestic circuit.

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There were reports that the board was planning to drop Iyer and Ishan from the central contract. However, Iyer has taken a U-turn on his earlier stance amid the risk of losing the contract and is planning to return to the Ranji Trophy during Mumbai’s semifinal match.