Ishan Kishan has not been selected for the Indian squad for the Zimbabwe tour after the T20 World Cup. Now Ishan Kishan has decided to play Ranji Trophy matches. With this decision, BCCI may give Ishan Kishan a chance in the Indian team in the future. But it still seems highly unlikely owing to the dynamics at play at the top of the order in the new-look Indian dressing room.
The BCCI dropped Ishan Kishan from his annual contract after he refused to play in the Ranji Trophy tournament. There was a big discussion about this topic at that time. The Ranchi-born wicketkeeper has been out of the Indian team for the past six months. Many were expecting Kishan to be named in the Indian Squad for the ongoing Zimbabwe tour but the BCCI played their hand and kept him out of the squadlist.
Ishan Kishan was a regular member of the Indian team till the 2023 ODI World Cup and has also played in many major tournaments. However, his downfall began when the ODI World Cup 2023 ended. In the subsequent 5-match T20I series against Australia, he last made an appearance for India. After which he was kept out of the first team resulting in a sudden return from the tour of South Africa. He has not played a single match for the Indian team since November 2023. IPL 2024 was also not special for him. Meanwhile, the BCCI had also dropped him from the central contract. He was not even selected for the T20 World Cup. He hoped that the BCCI tour of Zimbabwe would give him a chance to make a comeback, but that too was lost. Now Ishan Kishan has taken a big decision to accept defeat in front of the BCCI.
A ‘cold war’ has been going on between Ishan Kishan and BCCI for many months now. But now Ishan Kishan seems to have finally backed down. Kishan will now participate in the Ranji Trophy following BCCI’s instructions. In an interview with The Indian Express, Kishan spoke candidly about the BCCI and the controversies that have taken place over the past six months. He said he took a break due to mental fatigue but is feeling better now. Preparations are underway in Mumbai for the upcoming Ranji season as the left-handed top-order batsman is looking forward to the domestic season and wants to do well for Jharkhand.
