Ishan Kishan refused to participate in England Test series: Report
Ishan Kishan has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons lately. In another shocking development, the southpaw refused BCCI's offer to feature in the ongoing five-Test series. Notably, Kishan has been out of the national team since pulling out of the away Test series against South Africa in December 2023. He was recently left out of the BCCI central contract as well.
Kishan was unavailable for England Test series
As per ESPNcricinfo, the Indian team management approached Kishan to take part in the ongoing series. However, the wicketkeeper-batter declined the offer. "ESPNcricinfo understands the team management had got in touch with him (Kishan) during the ongoing Test series against England, but Kishan said he was not ready yet," read the report on the cricket website.
The curious case of Ishan Kishan
Ishan pulled out of the SA Test series, citing mental health issues, and also skipped the subsequent T20I series against Afghanistan. India's head coach Rahul Dravid stated Kishan was not selected for the England Test series as he was short of match practice. Notably, Kishan even skipped the entire 2024 Ranji Trophy. He recently returned to professional cricket during the DY Patil T20 tournament.
BCCI mandates strict Ranji participation for players
Last month, the BCCI issued a mandate to its fit players, who are not part of the international assignments, to feature in Ranji Trophy matches. The move aimed at instilling more discipline among players who ignore First-Class cricket and try their luck in the Indian Premier League (IPL). "Players cannot simply prioritize international cricket or the IPL," Cricbuzz quoted a BCCI official.
Kishan's national contract terminated
Kishan's absence has cost him as the BCCI has terminated his national contract. As per the new promotion criteria, players need to play a minimum of three Tests or eight ODIs or 10 T20Is within the specified period to reach Grade C. Hence, the southpaw was not considered. Shreyas Iyer is another player who was axed.
Kishan made his Test debut against West Indies
Kishan made his Test debut last year against West Indies with Rishabh Pant being unavailable. He featured in two matches, scoring 78 runs. Kishan slammed his highest score of 52* against the Windies in his short Test career. Overall, the 25-year-old owns 3,063 runs in 50 First Class matches at an average of 39.26 (50s: 17, 100s: 6).
Jurel has made the opportunity count
With Kishan not participating in the England Test series, KS Bharat donned the gloves in the first two games. However, his poor returns with the bat meant Dhruv Jurel made his debut in the third Test. The young wicket-keeper made his chances count and recorded scores worth 46, 90, and 39*. Notably, India are 3-1 up with a match to go.
