BCCI Extends Lifeline to Iyer, Kishan; Musheer Khan Included in NCA Program

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has extended a lifeline to Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan, who were previously excluded from the central contracts list for missing Ranji Trophy matches. The duo has been included in the National Cricket Academy's (NCA) High Performance Monitoring Programme for the 2024-25 domestic cricket season.

This move signals that the BCCI and national selection committee are not holding grudges against Iyer and Kishan. If they demonstrate a positive attitude towards domestic cricket and perform well for their respective state teams, they could regain their central contracts and be recalled to the Indian team.

Mumbai allrounder Musheer Khan, who impressed in the Under-19 World Cup and played a key role in Mumbai's Ranji Trophy triumph, has also been included in the NCA program. The list primarily consists of players who are not centrally contracted but are on the cusp of breaking into the Indian team.

The selected players are expected to undergo a month-long camp at the new NCA facility near Bengaluru under the guidance of chairman VVS Laxman. The camp will focus on enhancing their skills and preparing them for higher levels of competition.

Other notable players included in the NCA program are pacers Mayank Yadav, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Sen, Harshit Rana, Khaleel Ahmed, and Tushar Deshpande. Batsmen Riyan Parag, Ashutosh Sharma, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Sai Kishore, and Prithvi Shaw are also part of the group. Mumbai's spin allrounders Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian have also been selected.

The national selectors have also chosen a set of players for the under-23 camp, which includes those who have yet to feature in domestic cricket. This camp will provide opportunities for young players to showcase their talent and potentially earn a place in the NCA program in the future.

Tags: #ShreyasIyer, #IshanKishan, #MusheerKhan, #NCA, #HighPerformanceMonitoringProgramme