5 players who deserved a central contract but did not receive one

In the latest central contract list of the BCCI, there are a few noteworthy changes as compared to the previous one. While some players have got a promotion, the others have been demoted.

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However, a few talented Indian cricketers were completely ignored. There are some names that deserved to be included. So which are the players who deserved to be in either of the four categories? Here are five players who deserved a central contract.

1) KS Bharat

KS Bharat is currently one of the most talented keeper-batters in the country. Be it in the domestic circuit, or the Indian T20 league, he has already shown glimpses of his potential. Besides, the 28-year-old was recently a part of the Indian squad as well.

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He was a substitute gloveman for India during the Test series against New Zealand at home. Bharat has scored 4289 first-class runs at an average of 36.65. He was impressive for Bangalore during the Indian T20 league in 2021.

2) Rahul Chahar

Rahul Chahar has been widely regarded as a bright prospect for the Indian side. The leggie has been superb in the Indian T20 league, and has played several games for India too. As a matter of fact, he was a part of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 squad as well.

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So far, Chahar has picked seven wickets in six T20Is at an average of 23.86. He has a miserly economy rate of 7.59 and thus, has been fairly decent in his limited opportunities so far. Hence, it was shocking to not see him get a Grade C contract.

3) Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson has been one of the most talented Indian cricketers for quite a while now. Despite not really getting the big runs in international cricket, he has always looked good in the toughest T20 league in the world. In fact, he even leads a franchise.

Besides, he hasn't been given a consistent run in the playing XI for India. In the recently concluded T20I series against Sri Lanka, he looked decent, and seemed in good touch. Another important point to be noted is the fact that he is an "X Factor", and has the capability to single-handedly win games on his day.

4) Kuldeep Yadav

There was a time when Kuldeep Yadav was a regular feature in India's playing XI. As a matter of fact, he was was one of the leading spinners in the shorter formats of the game. Despite not being in the best of form of late, he could certainly be backed by the Indian board due to his past achievements.

He recently featured during the limited-overs games against West Indies and Sri Lanka, and was decent, to say the least. The spinner picked two wickets in the two red-ball games. Yadav also has age on his side.

5) Prithvi Shaw

Prithvi Shaw is considered the next big thing in Indian cricket. Every time he has played, he has looked impressive. The opener has been one of the best players in the domestic circuit as well. However, it is his aggressive mentality that makes him a special talent.

He has the ability to strike from ball one, and could be a future captain as well. He was scoring boundaries and sixes for fun during the previous edition of the Indian T20 league, which prompted Delhi to retain him ahead of the mega auction. Thus, several experts expected Shaw to be rewarded with a contract.