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Shreyas Iyer was notably excluded from the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) central contracts for the 2024–25 season. This decision stemmed from Iyer's absence in a crucial Ranji Trophy quarter-final match against Baroda, where he cited back issues as the reason for his unavailability. Despite his commendable performances, including a stellar showing in the ODI World Cup 2023 where he amassed 530 runs in 11 matches, Iyer's exclusion from the central contracts list remained a point of contention among fans and analysts. In response to the situation, Iyer demonstrated his commitment by participating in subsequent Ranji Trophy matches.
In fact Shreyas Iyer has had a remarkable domestic stint in the last year across competitions like the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy and the Ranji Trophy as well. Specifically in the Ranji Trophy, Iyer amassed 452 runs in four matches at an impressive average of 90.40, including two centuries, one of which was a double ton with a highest score of 233. He even led his IPL franchise to a cup victory in the 2024 IPL.
Winning the Ranji Trophy and IPL will be an appropriate answer: Iyer talks about response to losing BCCI contract
After completing this ‘redemption arc’, Shreyas Iyer did speak out publicly about losing out his BCCI central contract. He said, “Due to lack of communication there were decisions that didn’t go in my favour. But at the end of the day, the bat is always going to be in my hands and it’s on me on how to perform and win trophies,” referring to the two titles he won after losing his contract; the Ranji Trophy and the IPL.
Recent times have been equally glorious for Shreyas Iyer as initially he was picked by the Punjab Kings in the IPL for a record-breaking INR 26.75 Crore in the mega-auction. He even secured his spot in India’s CT squad and was one of the most consistent performers in the tournament, finishing as the second highest run-getter for India. He has also been named as the captain of his new IPL franchise and is also set to be back in the BCCI central contract list, according to reports.
