Indian team’s wicketkeeper-batsman, Ishan Kishan, re-entered competitive cricket at the DY Patil T20 Cup in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday, February 27, at the DY Patil University Ground.
Playing for RBI, the 25-year-old executed a stumping of Sumit Dhekale off seamer Sayan Mondal’s delivery. However, in his batting innings, he was out for 19 runs off 12 balls, featuring two fours and a six. Despite his efforts, Ishan’s team suffered a defeat to Route Mobile Limited by 89 runs.
Kishan has faced scrutiny for not participating in Ranji Trophy matches, despite BCCI’s explicit directives for centrally contracted players to engage in domestic cricket if in good health. During his absence from competitive matches, reports suggest that the cricketer was training with Hardik Pandya, the skipper of Mumbai Indians (MI), in Baroda.
Discussing Kishan’s return match, Route Mobile Limited posted a score of 192/8 in their 20 overs, with Aayush Vartan scoring 54 off 31 balls and Dhekale contributing 42. In response, RBI was bowled out for 103 in 16.3 overs. For Route, Badrey Alam excelled with impressive figures of 5/20.
Kishan’s most recent appearance for India was in a T20I against Australia in Guwahati in November 2023. Despite achieving half-centuries in his preceding two innings in the series, he was dismissed for a duck in this particular match.
The southpaw was initially selected for the Indian team in the two-match Test series in South Africa but withdrew due to personal reasons. Subsequently, Kishan was not included in India’s squads for the T20I series against Afghanistan at home or the ongoing five-match Test series against England.
Prior to Kishan, his Mumbai Indians captain, Pandya, also made a comeback to competitive cricket in the DY Patil T20 Cup.
The all-rounder, recovering from an ankle injury sustained during the 2023 World Cup league match against Bangladesh, secured figures of 2/22 from 3 overs while playing for Reliance 1 against Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited.
Following his bowling performance, Pandya batted at the No. 11 position, contributing an unbeaten 3 runs from 4 deliveries as Reliance 1 secured a two-wicket victory over Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited.
Jurel’s rise puts Kishan at a disadvantage in the competition for India’s Test wicketkeeper position
In the absence of Rishabh Pant, India granted Kishan a Test debut against the West Indies last year, following KS Bharat’s inability to capitalize on his chances. The Jharkhand cricketer even notched an impressive half-century in the second Test of the series in Port of Spain.
Excluded from consideration for the home Tests against England, Bharat and Dhruv Jurel were chosen as wicketkeeper-batsmen. Despite Bharat’s ongoing struggles, Jurel seized the opportunity and delivered a Player of the Match performance in Ranchi.
He scored 90 and an unbeaten 39 in his two innings, playing a pivotal role in India’s series-clinching victory.
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