File photo of Ishan Kishan© AFP
The conversation surrounding India wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan has been dominating headlines since he opted out of the Test series against South Africa back in December 2022. Kishan cited ‘personal reasons’ to not play in the two-match Test series against the Proteas and he has not featured in the national side since then. With the T20 World Cup taking place this year, his absence was viewed as a major concern for his career but according to a latest report, he is all set to play a T20 tournament before representing Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. A report from Dainik Bhaskar claimed that Kishan took the break to give time to his family and will now play in the DY Patil tournament in Mumbai.
In the recent past, India head coach Rahul Dravid made it clear that Kishan will have to play some matches before he can be considered for the national team once again. However, Jharkhand Cricket Association made it clear that the cricketer did not contact them about playing in the Ranji Trophy.
Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly issued a strong mandate to its players who are not part of international assignments or undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy.
The board wants all the fit players, not playing for the senior national team, to feature in the Ranji Trophy for their teams.
The verdict comes from the Indian board amid the ongoing debate around the situation of wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan who remains reluctant to play in the Ranji Trophy despite being fit.
Since leaving the South Africa tour midway, owing to mental fatigue, Ishan hasn’t featured in any competitive cricket match. He was last seen practicing with his Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya at the Reliance Stadium.
(With PTI inputs)
Topics mentioned in this article
