The Ishan Kishan episode is getting curiouser by the day. There’s been no word from the wicketkeeper-batter and even the Board has been kept in the dark on when he would make himself available for international cricket.
India are playing five Tests against England in the current series and with no limited-overs matches slotted before the IPL, it is unlikely that Kishan will be considered for selection.
Kishan hasn’t featured in Jharkhand’s ongoing Ranji Trophy campaign and there’s no confirmation that he will play anytime soon. Jharkhand State Cricket Association, his home body, has no clue about his whereabouts.
Head coach Rahul Dravid had said earlier this month that he would have to play domestic cricket once he’s ready to resume the game.
Kishan had asked for a break during the Test series in South Africa and the team management supported his wish. He featured in India’s first two ODI World Cup matches, but once Shubman Gill regained fitness, he was benched for the rest of the tournament.
He then played the first three T20Is against Australia at home, hitting two half-centuries. In South Africa, he didn’t feature in the T20Is with Jitesh Sharma being preferred over him. He was part of the Test squad too, but opted to take a break then.
There had been reports of his mental fatigue arising out of constant travelling with no guarantee of a regular place in the playing XI.
His continued absence has come as a surprise with the Board maintaining a stoic silence on the whole episode. Dravid though made it clear that there were no disciplinary issues involved and all such talk was mere speculation.
He had reportedly been training with Hardik Pandya in Vadodara and there was also talk that he would move to the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore once he felt he was in the right frame of mind.
It is believed that by not playing domestic cricket, he could jeopardise his chances of playing in the T20 World Cup in June. The IPL will form the basis of selection for the showpiece event, but the Ajit Agarkar-led committee has more or less made up their mind to go in with Jitesh or Sanju Samson.
That he has so far not paid any heed to the team management’s desire of him playing the Ranji Trophy hasn’t gone down well with the national selectors.
There is a belief in certain quarters that the extremely talented Kishan should be handled with care and sympathy. There is no need to put him under pressure by continuous scrutiny and asking him when he could be ready to go.
“This is a very delicate situation. He perhaps needs a long break. Support him and allow him the freedom to deal with such circumstances,” someone in the know of things told The Telegraph.
Kishan recently posted a video on social media where he was seen working out in the gym with his trainer. But there was nothing to suggest that he had started to bat in
the nets.
A day earlier he had posted a picture of him sitting in the front of a luxury car with the caption, “Lost in the right direction”. The locale suggested that he was overseas.
This has given rise to a lot of speculation ranging from he’s not interested in cricket to his forced break could continue for some more time.
Another school of thought has it that Kishan has the blessings of the powers-that-be in Indian cricket and has been given the freedom to deal with his personal issues independently.
Kishan is a contracted player — Grade C which involves an annual retainership of Rs 3 crore — which has led to questions if the Board has been too lenient in their dealings with him. However, there’s no doubt that by not keeping the Board informed, he has only complicated his chances of a comeback.
