'It's clear their performance hasn't been good': Ex-BCCI selector on Pujara, Rahane facing demotion in central contracts

Scoring at an average of just above 20, Ajinkya Rahane managed to score just 136 runs from the three Tests in South Africa.

The future of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane has been thrown into peril after a gloomy season with the Indian team. The pair brings a lot of experience to the table but their uninspiring numbers last year indicate towards a batting transition in Test cricket.

Ajinkya Rahane (L) and Cheteshwar Pujara. (REUTERS)

Scoring at an average of just above 20, Rahane managed to fetch just 136 runs from the three Tests in South Africa. Pujara's performance was no different. The Saurashtra batter scored only 124 in the rubber that India lost 1-2, failing to win their maiden Test series in the rainbow nation.

There are reports about the seasoned pair getting demoted when the BCCI releases a fresh list of contracted players for the upcoming season. Similarly, pacer Ishant Sharma and all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who have both struggled due to injuries and lack of form, could feature in group B. The BCCI has four categories (A, A, B and C) that carry annual retainership of ₹7 crore, ₹5 crore, ₹3 crore and ₹1 crore respectively.

It remains to see whether the BCCI top brass retains Pujara & Rahane in group A. But former BCCI selector Saba Karim believes their demotion is a reflection of their performances in the past one year. He also talked about the positive part, saying the downgrade won't completely sideline the veterans.

"This [Contract system] does two things from the BCCI's side. You are promoted as an appreciation if you have done well last year or you are demoted if the selectors feel you have not performed. If we keep these criteria, it's clear their performance has not been good last year," said Karim on India News.

"The expectations from them have gone down slightly and that is why we are talking about this demotion. But I feel this is also a silver lining for these players. If they are in Grade C, it means the selectors might still think about them in the coming year. It's not that they have been totally sidelined," he further added.

The former India wicketkeeper also spoke about the promotion of Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul, who are seen as future captaincy contenders. He instead bracketed all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in the A+ category and underlined the multi-format player's prowess.

"I feel A+ is a very exclusive club. Here I feel we are missing one player, that is Jadeja. He is a player who plays all three formats, he gives match-winning contributions and he has huge importance.

"Along with him, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul are also there. But maybe this year only Jadeja might get an entry in A+ and Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul might be in Grade A. Other than that, I feel players like Mohammed Siraj, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and Deepak Chahar should be given a promotion," he said.