Ishan Kishan, wicketkeeper-batter, has withdrawn from the upcoming two-Test series between South Africa and India which begins from December 26 onwards. Kishan was named in the Indian squad as the specialist keeper along with KL Rahul.

Ishan Kishan was part of the T20I squad for the recently concluded 3-match series in South Africa. However, the wicketkeeper-batter did not get a game as Jitesh Sharma kept wickets in the 2 matches after the first T20I was washed out due to rain in Durban.

Kishan, who plays for Mumbai Indians in IPL, requested the BCCI to be withdrawn from the squad for personal reasons.

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India named KS Bharat as his replacement in the squad, led by Rohit Sharma. India are likely to go ahead and get KL Rahul to keep wickets as the wicketkeeper returned to the Test set-up for the first time since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

"Mr Ishan Kishan has requested the BCCI to be released from the upcoming Test series against South Africa citing personal reasons. The wicket-keeper has subsequently been withdrawn from the Test squad," the BCCI said in a release on Sunday, December 17.  

India is scheduled to play two Tests with the first one starting on December 26–30 and the second slated for January 3–7, 2024. SuperSport Park in Centurion will host the first Test, and the second will be held in Newlands, Cape Town.

Updated India squad for South Africa Tests:

Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat (wk)