"Kuch ko takleef hogi, hone do" - Kapil Dev lauds BCCI for terminating Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer's central contracts

Former India captain Kapil Dev recently reacted to the likes of Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan losing their central contracts after their reported unwillingness to feature in domestic cricket matches.

Dev commended the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for undertaking a strict approach to ensure players don't skip first-class matches. He opined that while a few will be disheartened by the steps taken, it was the right thing to do.

During an interview with PTI, the 1983 World Cup-winning skipper remarked:

"I am so happy that the cricket board has taken a step forward for first-class cricket. The boys must play that, it's good for the country. Whatever is good for the country, I feel happy about that. Yes, few players will suffer...kuch ko takleef hogi, hone do, lekin desh se badhkar koi nahi hai. Well done."

Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were among the notable absentees from the central contract list announced by the BCCI on February 28. Iyer and Kishan were in the Grade B and Grade C categories, respectively, last year.

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"If the BCCI told them to play first-class cricket, they should have gone and played" - Madan Lal on Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer

Kapil Dev's 1983 World Cup teammate Madan Lal echoed the same sentiments while reacting to Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer losing their central contracts.

He suggested that both players should have followed the BCCI's directive and participated in first-class games. Reckoning that several Indian cricketers have taken domestic cricket for granted, Lal told TOI:

"If the BCCI told them to play first-class cricket, they should have gone and played. No one is bigger than the game. The BCCI should be given the credit as they are making it mandatory to play first-class cricket. Most of the players nowadays are taking first-class cricket for granted because of the IPL. Definitely, the BCCI made a rule that every player should go and play first-class cricket. So if you don't follow the rules, then they have to take some action and set an example for others."

While Shreyas Iyer has been named in Mumbai's squad for the Ranji Trophy 2024 semifinal against Tamil Nadu, Ishan Kishan has returned to action in the ongoing DY Patil T20 Cup in Mumbai.