IPL takes the crown!

No cricketer has drawn as many eyeballs off the field lately as Ishan Kishan. And it isn't dying away anytime soon. The 25-year-old Ishan's reluctance to go back to the drawing board and reinvent his game became further clear after he skipped the final round of Ranji Trophy matches that kicked off on Friday.

Is he unfit? Not one bit. Is he underperforming at bigger stages? Yes. Is he making a provision to return to India's Test squad? Apparently not. In fact, it is learnt that the left-hander is girding his loins for a comeback to competitive cricket for his employers' Reserve Bank of India in the upcoming DY Patil T20 tournament. All for the sake of the glitzy and commercially lucrative Indian Premier League that is scheduled to begin in the last week of March.

While speaking to Mid-Day, a BCCI official on Saturday reiterated the board's stand that a player, who is fit and not playing for the national team, should participate in the ongoing Ranji Trophy matches.

"Ranji tournament forms a big part of Indian cricket's rich tradition, it is sad that it is losing its importance. Gone are the days when cricketers would patiently await their Test cap after years of hard toil in first-class cricket. These are the changing times. Youngsters these days are prioritising IPL over domestic fixtures. The board had to step in one day, otherwise players are themselves deciding their future in the sport. First-class cricket should always come first for a player," said the official on conditions of anonymity.

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It is suspected that Ishan's disinclination towards domestic tournaments led the BCCI to make a minimum number of Ranji Trophy fixtures mandatory for players to be deemed eligible for the IPL's lucrative auction pool. But to no avail. His continued absence from the Jharkhand team in Ranji Trophy is guaranteed to make matters worse, especially after the diktat from secretary Jay Shah ahead of the third Test between India and England.

"If you are fit, then no excuse will be entertained," BCCI secretary Jay Shah recently told the media, as reported by PTI. "This applies to all centrally contracted players, they have to play. The player cannot decide his future, the selectors need to decide that. If the player is good in red-ball, he has to play."

While the IPL undeniably serves as a crucible for burgeoning talents and a lucrative avenue for players like Ishan seeking financial rewards and global recognition, its gravitational pull has prompted a discernible drift of players away from tournaments that engender a sense of regional pride.

One of the primary catalysts behind the exodus of players from Test cricket to the IPL is the financial windfall associated with the latter. The IPL auctions have witnessed astronomical sums being spent on players, turning relatively obscure talents into overnight millionaires. The prospect of earning substantial sums in a condensed period has lured many players away from the rigours of first-class cricket, where the financial rewards are comparatively modest.

Players, fueled by the desire to compete at the pinnacle of the game and gain a global footprint, often view the IPL as a stepping stone to international glory, relegating first-class cricket to a secondary status in their career aspirations.

Striking a balance that preserves the sanctity of domestic cricket while acknowledging the allure of T20 leagues is crucial for the sustainable growth and success of the sport as a multi-faceted and dynamic one. The challenge here lies in navigating this delicate equilibrium, ensuring that both forms of cricket thrive in harmony, in order to be able to contribute to the rich tapestry of the sport for generations to come.

The views expressed here are the author's personal views, and do not represent the views of Mid-Day.