After India's 106-run victory in the second Test against England in Visakhapatnam, India's head coach Rahul Dravid was asked about the availability of wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan for the remaining series during the press conference. Rahul Dravid mentioned that Ishan Kishan needs to start playing to be considered for selection again.
"There is a way back for anyone and everyone. It's not that we rule out anybody from anything," Dravid said in the post-match press conference.
“Again, I just don't want to go on laboring about the Ishan Kishan point. I have tried to explain this as best as I can. He had requested a break, we were happy to give him a break,” he added.
Ishan Kishan missed the T20I series against Afghanistan and is now also missing out against England in the Test series.
“Whenever he is ready, I didn't say he has to play domestic cricket, I said whenever he is ready... he needs to play some cricket and come back. The choice is his. We are not forcing him to do anything. We are in touch with him. We know what it is. He hasn't yet started playing, right? At the moment, it's not something that we would consider. He is maybe not ready. He decides when he wants to be ready,” former India captain stated.
"We have got options with Rishabh injured and stuff. The selectors will consider all this and take a call," Dravid concluded.
Ishan Kishan's no show in Ranji Trophy
Notably was the first-choice wicketkeeper for India in Tests, but after his absence from the South Africa tour and the domestic circuit, Indian team management didn't consider him for the selection. The 25-year-old was asked to play domestic cricket after opting out of the Test series against South Africa. However, the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) revealed that the wicketkeeper-batter has not contacted them to take part in Ranji Trophy matches. Jharkhand has played five matches so far in the Ranji Trophy, and Kishan has not played in any of those matches.
Notably, Kishan withdrew from the South Africa series citing mental fatigue. However, he was later spotted partying in Dubai, which reportedly didn't sit well with the team management. After KS Bharat's continuous failures in Tests, fans are backing Kishan to return for the third Test against England at Rajkot. However, with no games for the star southpaw in the Ranji Trophy, the chances of him playing in the remainder of the Test series against England looks bleak.
Kishan last played a T20 international against Australia on November 28 in Guwahati. He is currently not playing cricket in any form and is expected to play in the IPL straight away, where he will be representing Mumbai Indians (MI). A good performance in the IPL may open the doors for him in the squad for the T20 World Cup 2024, which is scheduled for June, as he is a good wicket-keeping option who can also open the innings and play explosively in the shortest format.
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