Indian cricketer Ishan Kishan’s absence from the ongoing five-match Test series against England has raised eyebrows, especially after reports emerged that he was contacted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) during the series but declined to make himself available for selection.
Kishan had opted out of the South Africa series citing mental fatigue but has not returned to competitive cricket since then. Despite not playing any First-Class matches, Team India head coach Rahul Dravid had previously hinted that Kishan’s absence from the Test squad was due to his lack of match practice. However, new reports suggest that Kishan himself refused to play the series against England and instead was spotted training with Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya in Baroda.
According to ESPNCricinfo, the BCCI contacted Kishan in the middle of the series against England and advised him to join the squad as KS Bharat had failed to perform with the bat. However, Kishan stated that he was not ready to play Test cricket, leading the selection committee to give Dhruv Jurel his first breakthrough. Jurel has performed well in the third and fourth Tests of the series and is likely to retain his spot in the Test squad.
Kishan’s recent behavior has raised questions about his professionalism, leading to him being axed from his central contract. The BCCI reiterated its recommendation for all athletes to prioritize participating in domestic cricket during periods when they are not representing the national team. However, Kishan’s decision not to play Ranji Trophy for Jharkhand and his continued absence from the field have left his future in doubt.
It remains to be seen if Ishan Kishan can make a strong comeback in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and potentially earn a spot in the T20 World Cup squad. However, at present, his return to any format of the game seems uncertain.
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