There has been ongoing uncertainty about Ishan Kishan’s future in international cricket across all formats, especially after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) denied him a central contract earlier this February. Since then, he has not been included in any Indian squads, including for the T20 World Cup, and his potential return was not addressed during Gautam Gambhir’s first press conference as head coach of the men’s team. However, Ishan is now poised to receive a significant opportunity to make a comeback to the Indian side ahead of the selection meeting for the Bangladesh Test series next month.
According to a Cricbuzz report earlier this month, Ishan, who was sidelined after opting out of the Ranji Trophy last year, has made himself available for the upcoming domestic season after being counseled by national selectors. He has already been included in the list of 25 pre-season probables by the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA). This development followed BCCI secretary Jay Shah’s statement that all available players should participate in domestic competitions, including India probables when not on national duty.
News18 subsequently reported that the wicketkeeper-batter will represent Jharkhand in the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament, which begins on August 15 in Chennai.
However, a fresh report from the Indian Express on Monday suggests that the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee is likely to pick Ishan for the Duleep Trophy, which will run from September 5 to 24. The domestic tournament, featuring prominent players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, will play a crucial role in the selectors’ decision-making for the 15-member squad for the Test series against Bangladesh, beginning on September 19. The report added that the selectors want Ishan to resume his red-ball career if he aims to return to the Indian side.
Earlier, Shreyas Iyer, who was similarly denied a contract, made a successful return to the Indian team during the ODI series against Sri Lanka earlier this month.
End of the Road for Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane
It has long been speculated that Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane would no longer be considered for the Indian squad, and this was further confirmed on Monday. The Indian Express report indicated that the selectors do not plan to include the two veteran batters for the Duleep Trophy. Although Pujara was among the top run-scorers in the Ranji Trophy last season and Rahane led Mumbai to a title win despite being out of form, the selectors are now focusing on giving opportunities to younger players like Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel to take their place.