Shreyas Iyer's presence at KKR Academy left chief selector Ajit Agarkar furious: Report

Shreyas Iyer’s presence at KKR Academy left chief selector Ajit Agarkar furious: Report

NEW DELHI: Just a few days ago, Shreyas Iyer, along with Ishan Kishan, found themselves excluded from the 2023/24 BCCI Central Contracts List. The board clarified that the duo wasn’t recommended for the annual retainership among the 30 players.

Concerning Iyer, who withdrew from Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Baroda due to a back issue, a report in Revsportz suggests that BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar was displeased upon discovering that the right-handed batter was present at the Academy of his IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, a team he captains in the tournament.

In his role as the chief selector responsible for finalising central contracts, Agarkar made the decision to exclude Iyer from the central contracts list.

Despite this, Iyer is currently participating in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy semifinal against Tamil Nadu at the BKC Ground in Mumbai.

Iyer was one of the key performers in India’s runners-up finish in the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup last year, making 530 runs in 11 matches, including a century in the semifinal against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium.

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He had been in a race against time to be fit for the tournament due to a back injury needing surgery but got fit enough to play in the mega event.

But Iyer hadn’t left a mark in the first two Tests against England, making scores of 35 and 13 in Hyderabad, followed by 27 and 29 in Visakhapatnam. He was then left out of India’s squad for the last three Tests against England.

In his last seven Test matches, Iyer has amassed only 187 runs at an average of 17, with a top score of just 35.

(With inputs from IANS)

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