Ishan Kishan Snubbed Again: Report Reveals Pathway for India Star’s Return

Shreyas Iyer, the IPL-winning captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team mentored by Gautam Gambhir, has made a well-deserved comeback to the national team. This follows a reprimand from the selection committee for his repeated avoidance of domestic cricket last season, which he attributed to a troublesome lower back. Although Iyer had not technically been dropped from the ODI squad—having scored a fifty in his last ODI appearance—his return to the team reinstates his central contract automatically.

However, the same cannot be said for Ishan Kishan, who seems to have fallen off the selection radar. Sources suggest that Kishan will only be considered for a comeback after completing a full season of domestic cricket. His current practice of playing from one IPL season to the next is seen as detrimental to his selection prospects. At present, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Sanju Samson are the preferred wicketkeepers for the two white-ball formats.

In the latest squad updates, Riyan Parag and Harshit Rana have been included for the ODIs. The BCCI’s media statement mentioned that the Board “will continue to monitor player availability and participation in the upcoming domestic cricket season, 2024-25.” Riyan Parag’s selection comes on the back of his impressive performance in the previous year’s Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he scored seven half-centuries. The national selection committee has indicated that domestic cricket performances will be given significant weightage in future selections.

Rookie pacer Harshit Rana, who claimed 19 wickets for KKR in this year’s IPL and was selected for the first two Zimbabwe T20Is, has been added to the ODI squad. The selectors believe this is an opportune time to expand their pool of pacers and evaluate their performance at the elite level.

Despite scoring a 46-ball century, Abhishek Sharma missed out on selection due to a lack of vacancy at the No. 3 batting position, which is occupied by the skipper. Similarly, Chennai Super Kings’ captain Ruturaj Gaikwad did not find a place in the squad.

As the BCCI emphasizes the importance of domestic cricket, players like Ishan Kishan will need to prove their mettle in the domestic arena to earn a spot back in the national team.