Ishan Kishan, the keeper-batter from Jharkhand is likely to miss the first game, as India’s domestic season kick-starts with the Duleep trophy on September 5. The reason for Kishan’s withdrawal from the game is unclear, however, it is understood that he is carrying an injury that has forced him out of the game. He is a part of Team D, led by the IPL-winning skipper Shreyas Iyer.
It is currently unknown if Kishan will compete in the subsequent stages of the four-day first-class competition. Furthermore, it will depend on the Indian team’s selection for the two-Test series against Bangladesh, but he might be included in the competition’s final stages. Every team will participate in three games; Team D’s second match will take place at Anantapur on September 12 versus Team A.
Kishan captained his state side Jharkhand last month in the TNCA Buchi Babu Trophy. Jharkhand featured in two games before being knocked out of the league stage by Hyderabad. In the first game against Madhya Pradesh Kishan led his side to a victory, with match-defining knocks in both the innings. He scored a century (114) in the first innings and remained unbeaten on 41 in the second.
However, the second game was a disaster for both Kishan and his side which faltered against a strong Hyderabad lineup. In the match that was played at India Cements Ground in Shankar Nagar in Chennai, Kishan scored 1 off 11 and 5 off 22 deliveries in the two innings.
The keeper-batter has been under the scanner since last year after his central contract with the BCCI was revoked for not committing to their directives of prioritizing domestic cricket. Kishan despite BCCI’s multiple directives missed the red-ball season for Jharkhand and was seen training all by himself.
His national selection and a possible contract will only be possible once he returns to playing domestic cricket. He might have partially met the requirements by featuring in the Buchi Babu tournament, however, the competition is not recognized as a National tournament.
His inclusion in the Duleep Trophy was a positive sign for him moving forward, but his last-minute withdrawal might hamper his progress. BCCI’s stance on the matter is still unknown and if it is due to an injury concern, then it might work in Kishan’s favor.
This would be the 4th major withdrawal from the red-ball tournament after India’s T20I skipper Surya Kumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mohammad Siraj, who all pulled out due to different reasons.
The Duleep Trophy commences in Bengaluru and Anantapur from the 5th of September and will mark the start of India’s Domestic season 2024-25
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