Ishan Kishan has been in the news lately because of his prolonged absence from the Indian team. The wicketkeeper-batter was last seen in action during the home T20I series against Australia in November 2023.
Kishan withdrew from the Test series in South Africa last December, citing personal reasons. Since then, the left-hander has not been picked in any of the Indian squads.
Despite India head coach Rahul Dravid’s suggestion to play competitive cricket, Ishan Kishan didn't make himself available for Jharkhand in the ongoing Ranji Trophy.
In fact, a report recently revealed that the southpaw has been training alongside Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya in Vadodara’s Reliance Cricket Stadium for the past few weeks.
Amid the speculations, a report published in The Indian Express claimed that the extended break has allowed Kishan to spend time with his family and also helped him to get over mental fatigue that came with the constant travel and the World Cup heartbreak.
According to the report, the 25-year-old is currently living with his family members in a 2bhk rented flat in Vadodara, where he has been training and working on his batting technique.
“The break has done wonders to him. He has rented a flat in Vadodara. His entire family barring his elder brother (Raj) who is a surgeon in Lucknow, everyone is staying with him. The family is completely backing him in this tough time. He has been constantly on the road since making his international debut. He always used to crib a lot about not being able to eat food cooked by his mother. Now he is getting it three times a day. He is spending time with Viraj, his nephew, which has made him very relaxed and he is enjoying the company of his family members,” the newspaper quoted a source as saying.
“He had never complained about it but the ODI World Cup final loss in Ahmedabad, like the billions in our country, has left him shattered. He wanted the break right after the tournament but was asked by the management to play and he did it without asking any questions. He tried to push his body and brain but mental fatigue caught up with him and it was only then that he requested a break.”
On Friday (February 16), BCCI secretary Jay Shah issued a warning to India’s top cricketers - centrally contracted as well as India ‘A’, over their mandatory participation in domestic red-ball tournaments.
As per The Indian Express, Shah wrote to the cricketers, citing that domestic cricket remains a “critical yardstick for selection” to the national team and non-participation in it will have “severe implications”.
However, those close to the player feel Shah’s warning was not directed towards Ishan.
“Ishan has always given priority to the Ranji Trophy. In the 2022-23 season, he was constantly travelling with the Indian cricket team but despite the hectic schedule he played a couple of Ranji Trophy games, and scored a century against Kerala, which helped him earn a place in India’s Test team. All these accusations are just rubbish.”
As far as Ishan Kishan’s comeback is concerned - multiple sources suggest that the cricketer will make a return to competitive action in the DY Patil T20 tournament and is eyeing a comeback into the Indian team for the T20 World Cup 2024, slated to be held in the West Indies and USA from June 1 to June 29.
“He will ask for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the board. He will be playing for the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He wants to earn his spot in India’s T20 World Cup squad with a good outing in the IPL. It is a long road but the hunger to play cricket is back and he wants to play in all three formats,” a source stated.
(The Indian Express inputs)
