(Image source: X.com)
[Saba Sports News] In a shocking twist to the Ishan Kishan versus BCCI, an ESPNCricinfo report has claimed that the wicketkeeper-batter was contacted by the country’s apex cricketing body in the middle of the ongoing England series for his selection.
However, Kishan made himself unavailable, claiming that he was not match ready. This was followed by the rise of Dhruv Jurel, who came in the XI in place of underperforming KS Bharat, and grabbed the opportunities with both hands, enjoying a great debut Test series.
This development comes on the heels of Kishan and Shreyas Iyer’s exclusion from the BCCI central contracts list. As widely reported, the duo faced snubs because of their lack of interest in playing domestic matches.
For the unversed, Kishan after last playing for India in a T20I against Australia in November 2023, pulled out of South Africa Test series reportedly due to mental fatigue.
As his absence continued series after series, head coach Rahul Dravid, when asked about this, opined that Kishan would have to play some form of competitive cricket to return to the Indian fold. Meanwhile, the gloveman was spotted training with his Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya in Baroda.
The BCCI secretary Jay Shah openly warned the Indian players not to prioritise IPL over domestic cricket. As Kishan despite the continuous nudges did not reciprocate, he was punished as BCCI chose not to give him a central contract.
Kishan is currently featuring in the DY Patil T20 Cup and will next be seen playing in the IPL 2024.