 "Ishan Kishan")
Rahul Dravid on Wednesday, January 10, said that Ishan Kishan had not been dropped from the team for the Afghanistan series because of disciplinary issues, rather he made himself unavailable for selection. It was shocking, in a way that the media had built a narrative that Kishan, alongside Iyer, was dropped because of disciplinary issues.
But to hear that someone like Kishan, who is just 25 and has hardly been a permanent member of Team India, playing only 61 matches across three formats, having made his debut in 2021, wanted a break from the game was as shocking as his non-selection.
South Africa Tour that Changed Things
On the South Africa tour of India, Kishan was selected as a specialist keeper in the Indian side for the T20 internationals alongside Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson. However, Jitesh was given the chance so that the team could try out Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top.
While, when Gill was away from the squad in the Australia series, Kishan was given the number three spot. The fact that his spot was not fixed even in the T20 set-up where he had performed well, might have had an impact on Kishan who decided to quit the Test series and move back home.
In an Indian Express report, sources have been quoted saying that Kishan was not happy being treated as a replacement player. His slot in the team was not fixed, and he was not given breaks when he wanted, rather sidelined from games he should have played. Post that break, Kishan was seen partying in Dubai with former captain MS Dhoni. He is still on a break and has been training with new Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya in Vadodara, Gujarat.
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What Happened Since Ishan Kishan Hit a Historic 210 Against Bangladesh?
In December 2022, Ishan Kishan announced himself in style when he smashed the highest-ever score for any batter as their maiden ODI century. His 210 against Bangladesh seems to have brought him into the mainframe after nearly two years of staying in the shadows of big guns and being treated as a replacement player.
People thought it was his time to be the opener that India needed and provide the left-right combination with skipper Rohit Sharma.
But just after that, Kishan had an average outing in a three-match T20 international series against Sri Lanka at home and bam!! He lost his spot as an ODI opener to Gill. Not only that, he didn’t even feature in the series at any spot in the Indian batting line-up.
Back in the Team but Not as an Opener but as a Replacement Player
He was back in the Indian squad, but not as an opener for the New Zealand series. But once again, he was a replacement player, this time for KL Rahul as a wicket-keeper batter. Rahul was out with an injury. After that series, Australia came visiting, and Ishan played the only match in which Rohit was not available for selection. Once again, his place was changed, and now he opened the innings.
Similarly, when the team went on the tour of England for the World Test Championship Final, Ishan was not preferred because he was not the best wicket-keeper between him and KS Bharat. Team India learned from that mistake and made him the keeper on the tour of West Indies for two Tests.
In the Lead-Up to the World Cup 2023
However, in the limited-over leg of the West Indies tour, Ishan, even after scoring fifties in all three ODIs, was dropped from the last three T20 internationals. The Jharkhand-born was part of India’s Asia Cup squad as the main keeper and played down the order. However, with KL Rahul back after the group stages, he was once again moved upwards, even after scoring a brilliant 82 against Pakistan down the order. Rahul was the designated number five, and Ishan was a floater. Once again, good scores didn’t come to his benefit.
Naturally, he couldn’t perform well in the remaining matches. In a series just ahead of the World Cup against Australia, Ishan played in the middle-order but did not find the desired success, and once Rohit was back in the playing 11, Rahul was preferred over the left-hander and played as wicket-keeper batter.
In the World Cup and After It
With form not being on his side, Ishan was played as the replacement opener for Gill. Even after scoring 42 against Afghanistan, Gill replaced him once he was fit in the match against Pakistan. Ishan remained on the sidelines for the remainder of the tournament.
After the tournament, when the southpaw wanted a break, he was selected for the T20 series in South Africa and didn’t get even a single game. All of a sudden, he was out of the ODI set-up, and Samson, whom Kishan had overtaken as the second-choice keeper before the World Cup, was back in the reckoning, post-it.
Number Three in Place of Virat Kohli for T20s
After the Australia T20 series, for which Kishan was not ready initially and then managed to score two fifties at number three, he was considered as the next number three post the Rohit-Virat transition. Instead, he didn’t play the remaining two matches of the Australia series and not a single game of the two against South Africa.
Kishan could have easily been part of the Test team in Shreyas Iyer’s place and given Rahul the chance to play as a specialist batter, but he chose to opt out of the series, maybe sensing that he might not get a game even there.
What do the Numbers Say abut Ishan Kishan?
Kishan has played 27 ODIs and scored 933 runs at an average of 42; in 32 T20Is, he has 796 runs at an average of 25 and a strike rate of 124. His three innings in Tests have fetched him 78 runs and he is yet to be dismissed. He has one hundred and seven fifties in ODIs and six fifties in T20s. In his two Tests, he has notched up a fifty as well. Number-wise, he has shown that he is ready for the international challenge.
What's the Road Ahead?
Dravid in the presser also said, "I am sure when he is available, once he is, he will play in domestic cricket and make himself available for selection as well."
What do the Numbers Say abut Ishan Kishan?
Kishan has played 27 ODIs and scored 933 runs at an average of 42; in 32 T20Is, he has 796 runs at an average of 25 and a strike rate of 124. His three innings in Tests have fetched him 78 runs and he is yet to be dismissed. He has one hundred and seven fifties in ODIs and six fifties in T20s. In his two Tests, he has notched up a fifty as well. Number-wise, he has shown that he is ready for the international challenge.
What's the Road Ahead?
Dravid in the presser also said, "I am sure when he is available, once he is, he will play in domestic cricket and make himself available for selection as well."
Now, just ahead of the England series, where he would have been the second wicket-keeping choice after Rahul and would have probably played as the keeper since he is a specialist and Rahul isn’t, Ishan is nowhere to be seen. He might be seeing the IPL as a route to the T20 World Cup squad, but to detach himself from the game and make himself unavailable for selection, surely makes his case a curious one.
