5 Indian players who missed out on central contract for 2016/17
BCCI has announced the latest contracts for the Indian men's team and it hasn't been all good news for the players. Although the central contracts have doubled from 1 crore, 50 lakh and 25 (for Grade A, B and C) to 2 crore, 1 crore and 50 lakh (for Grade A, B and C), not every player has made the cut.
The 2015/16 contract saw 26 players get central contracts and while the number has gone up to 32 this time around, not all players all likely to be happy. While Ravindra Jadeja, who is currently the No.1 ranked Test bowler was promoted to Grade A from C and KL Rahul jumped from C to B, several players missed out on a contract altogether.
Seven players who had a contract last time around don't have one now. While a couple, Karn Sharma and Sreenath Aravind, were never regulars in the side, there are five others who missed out from the contracts handed out for 2015/16 season.
Here are 5 players who missed out on the central contract for 2016/17:
#5 Stuart Binny
When Stuart Binny produced a magical spell of 6/4 in an ODI, India thought they had finally found the all-rounder they had been looking for. Someone who could swing the ball and be effective with the bat lower down the order. But unfortunately for Binny things haven't gone according to plan.
Despite having a Grade C BCCI contract (25 lakh) during the period 2015/16, Binny played just one game for India in 2016. And the only game was a T20I against West Indies in the USA, in which he was smashed for five sixes and went for 32 runs in his only over.
He hasn't played for India since then and the rise of Hardik Pandya combined with India's impressive pace attack means that he is unlikely to do so in the near future as well, barring injuries. So it was little surprise then that he wasn't given a central contract by the BCCI.