Ishan Kishan to get opportunity for India comeback; end of road for Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara- Report

Ishan Kishan has been out Indian scheme of things since South Africa tour earlier this year.

Ishan Kishan will likely be given a golden opportunity by the BCCI to stage a comeback into the Indian team for the Bangladesh Tests. Kishan was denied a central contract by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) earlier in February this year after he refused to play domestic cricket.

After that, he was not picked for the T20 World Cup 2024 or the Sri Lanka tour. However, Ishan is likely to get a lifeline from BCCI and stage a comeback with the Indian team.

As per the Cricbuzz report, Ishan made himself available for the forthcoming domestic season after consulting with national selectors, and he has already been named to the Jharkhand State Cricket Association's (JSCA) list of 25 preseason probables.

The development occurred weeks after BCCI secretary Jay Shah stressed that all available players, including India prospects, should play for their home states when not on national duty.

News 18 later stated that the wicketkeeper-batsman will represent Jharkhand in the Buchi Babu tournament, which begins on August 15 in Chennai.

And now Indian Express has reported that the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee is likely to pick Ishan for the Duleep Trophy, which will begin on September 5 and end on the 24th.

The domestic event, which will also feature Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and other India regulars, will be crucial when the selectors meet to choose the 15-man squad for the Test series against Bangladesh, which begins on September 19.

According to the article, the selectors want Ishan to return to his red-ball career if he wants to play for India again.

Previously, Shreyas Iyer, who was rejected a contract on similar grounds as Ishan, returned to the Indian team for the ODI series against Sri Lanka earlier this month.

The same report however had bad news for veterans Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. While Pujara was among the top run-getters in the Ranji Trophy last season, an out-of-form Rahane led Mumbai to a title win.

However, as per the report, the BCCI selectors will no longer consider Pujara and Rahane for a place in the Indian Test team. And the duo will not be considered for the Duleep Trophy tournament. The selectors are more keen on giving Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel opportunities to fill their shoes.