Good news for Abhishek Sharma and Exer Patel in trouble in Team India and Ishaan Kishan?

On Thursday (April 17), a groundbreaking note began, in which the BCCI linked Abhishek Nair to its role as an assistant coach of Team India. This India first failed to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final and lost the BGT series after almost a decade. In addition, there have been various updates in the upcoming BCCI Central Contract List for players, Abhishek Sharma and Exer Patel are likely to get promotion. Meanwhile, was Nair an ax due to the crack in the Indian team? And why is Ishan Kishan in trouble? All of this and hold more down.

Fight in Indian team?

Abhishek Nair’s dismissal as the assistant coach of Team India has burnt a major controversy, with the report a dressing room rift may have played a role. According to sources, Nair became a sacrifice of a sacrifice in a power struggle between a senior player and leading assistant employees. The concerns over Nair’s influence in the dressing room were raised at a BCCI review meeting, feeling something that his appearance was “counter-producer”. Read more here.

Good news for Abhishek Sharma?

The BCCI is set to announce central contracts for the 2025-26 season, including three new players: Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana. All three have recently made their debut for India. Abhishek Sharma and Nitish Kumar Reddy qualify on the basis of match criteria, while Harshit Rana may be due to his performance in the inclusion format. Varun Chakarwarthi and Shreyas Iyer are also expected to return to the contract list after contributing to India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 win. This is a big news for Abhishek Sharma, which seems to be a permanent member for India, especially in T20I. Read more here.

Poor by Ishaan Kishan

Ishan Kishan’s return to the Wankhede Stadium ended in disappointment as he managed to score just 2 off 3 balls against his former team Mumbai Indians. This latest shock continues Kishan’s struggles in IPL 2025, where he has not yet received his rhythm. Despite MI’s huge investment of Rs 15.25 crore in 2022, Kishan has continuously overwhelmed. With a career average of 28.81 and a strike rate of 137.91 in IPL. Except for SRH’s first match, Ishan Kishan has scored only 32 runs in 34 balls in the remaining 6 innings in IPL 2025. Read more here.

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Replacement by Glen Philips’ GT

Former Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka is set to join the Gujarat Titans (GT) as a replacement of the injured Glenn Philips despite being unsold in the IPL 2025 auction. Shanka had a brief, ineffective tenure with GT in 2023, scoring three matches and 26 runs. However, his experience in the T20 League, where he scored decency and took 38 wickets, can benefit GT. Interestingly, Shanaka was recently part of the Delhi Capital preparation camp, which was a surprising step. Read more here.

The BCCI is ready to announce central contracts soon, with Exer Patel and Kuldeep Yadav to be promoted from B to Grade A, earning ₹ 5 crores annually. The recent ICC tournament includes his impressive performance, including the T20 World Cup 2024 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, made a strong case for his promotion. Shreyas Iyer can also find a contract in Category B. Ravichandran Ashwin can be taken out of grade B due to his retirement. Read more here.

Akash, Shreyas compulsory for new T20 Tourney

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has made it mandatory for Mumbai Indian players to participate in the T20 Mumbai League, unless they have issues of India’s commitment or injury. Rohit Sharma has been named “League’s face”. Players like Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, and Shivam Dubey will receive of 15 lakhs as partnership fees, as well as earning from the auction fee. The league is scheduled to begin on 26 May and will have 2,800 registered players. The objective of MCA is to nurture the next generation of cricket stars in Mumbai. Read more here.