New Delhi:
India wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan is all set to make his comeback in red-ball cricket after a long hiatus. Kishan will lead Jharkhand in the upcoming Buchi Babu Trophy which is set to get underway on August 15. The tournament will be played in Tamil Nadu and Kishan will join the Jharkhand squad directly in Chennai.
This is Kishan’s first red-ball tournament since July last year when he featured for India in the Test series against West Indies. The 26-year-old, who opted for a break from international cricket due to mental heath concerns last year, was excluded from the BCCI’s central contract list for the 2024-25 season for failing to turn up for Jharkhand in the domestic circuit.
His return for his state team in the Buchi Babu Trophy is a crucial step for the wicket-keeper batter, who will be eyeing to regain his spot in the Indian team with his performances in first-class cricket. Kishan was initially not selected in Jharkhand’s squad for the Buchi Babu Trophy, however, he was included after making himself available for selection.
“With Ishan, it was never about ability. It was only about whether he was ready to return. The decision was with him. When he was not included in the initial list, it was only because we hadn’t heard from him. The moment he expressed his keenness to return, he was drafted in,” a JSCA official told ESPNcricinfo.
Ishan Kishan eyes India comeback after difficult few months
Kishan was part of India’s tour of South Africa last year and was also named in the squad for the Test series against the Proteas. However, he withdrew from the tour midway citing personal reasons and was seen partying in Dubai before returning home. Kishan missed Ranji Trophy matches for Jharkhand leading to his snub from the BCCI’s central contract list along with Shreyas Iyer.
It has been a difficult few months for Kishan, who made his comeback to competitive cricket in the DY Patil T20 Cup 2024 where he played for the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He subsequently turned for Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2024 and finished the season with 320 runs at an average of 22.86, with a strike rate of 148.84.
Kishan was not selected in India’s T20I squad for their tour of Zimbabwe after being snubbed from the T20 World Cup squad. As he makes his comeback for Jharkhand, the left-hander will be hoping to perform consistently for his state side and win back his place in the Indian team ahead of the Test series against Bangladesh next month.
Ishan Kishan is all set to make his comeback in red-ball cricket after a lomg hiatus as the wicket-keeper batter will be seen in action for Jharkhand soon Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
