The second round of Duleep Trophy 2024 got underway on Thursday (September 12). There has been a change in the teams in this round with the Test regulars dropping out to be part of the training camp ahead of Bangladesh series.

At the same time, Ishan Kishan has returned to the Duleep Trophy after missing the tournament’s first round due to an injury. The wicketkeeper-batter featured in the playing XI of the India C team against India B.

Kishan’s inclusion came as a surprise to many since his name wasn’t mentioned when the second-round squad lists were released. In fact, the media release had stated no changes in the India C team while the southpaw was initially part of the India D squad.

No wonder, Kishan’s presence in the playing XI for India C against India B led to speculation and confusion among fans and cricket experts.

The BCCI is yet to issue a clarification over the Kishan's unexpected inclusion in the Duleep Trophy. The situation has led to further speculation about his future in Indian cricket.

Earlier this year, Ishan Kishan hogged the headlines for not being included in the BCCI central contracts list for the 2023-24 season. He lost the annual contracts after failing to adhere to the board's mandate of playing domestic cricket when not on national duty.

Notably, the left-hander had withdrawn from the Test series in South Africa last December, citing personal reasons. Since then, he has not been picked in any of the Indian squads.

Last month, Kishan made his return to domestic cricket with Buchi Babu tournament as Jharkhand captain but his participation was limited to two games as his side could not proceed beyond the league stage.

The 26-year-old played two matches in the TNCA-organised tournament versus Madhya Pradesh and Hyderabad. He returned with scores of 114, 41, 1 and 5 in four innings.