Indian wicketkeeper-batter, Ishan Kishan, has been sidelined from cricket since opting out of the Indian squad for the South Africa tour in December 2023 due to exhaustion. His last appearance for India was in a T20I match against Australia in Guwahati during the same month.
Despite the ongoing Test series against England, Kishan was not considered for selection, as clarified by India’s head coach Rahul Dravid, who stated that Kishan had yet to make himself available after requesting a break. Recently, Kishan shared a training video on social media, indicating his efforts to return to form. However, he remains absent from Jharkhand’s squad in the current round of the Ranji Trophy.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan sparked speculation with a cryptic post questioning how someone could be fit enough to practice but not participate in domestic cricket matches. Though Pathan did not explicitly name Kishan, many fans inferred that his remarks were directed towards the young cricketer.
Irfan Pathan posted with caption: “Finding it perplexing how someone can be fit enough to practice but not play domestic cricket. How does this even make sense?”
Irfan Pathan on
— Nishat Abbas (@NishatAbbas1) February 10, 2024
Ishan Kishan: "Finding it perplexing how someone can be fit enough to practice but not play domestic cricket. How does this even make sense?” #IshanKishan #INDvsENG #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/gVW63agfQn
Adding to the discourse, former India batter Aakash Chopra expressed doubts about Kishan’s eligibility for the national team, citing his lack of participation in any cricketing format. As discussions around Kishan’s absence continue, it remains to be seen when he will make himself available for selection and return to competitive cricket.
Aakash Chopra on his YouTube channel said: “What Rahul has said is absolutely correct. Rahul Dravid has said that he should make available first and secondly, he needs to play some cricket, as he can’t be picked for India if he is not playing any cricket. If it had been the period of June-July, it would have been acceptable.”
“However, the Ranji Trophy is happening at the moment, so if first-class cricket is happening, he needs to play there to show his availability. In fact, he has not even picked up the phone and told anyone that he is available.”
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