BCCI to give Ishan Kishan golden comeback opportunity ahead of Bangladesh Tests; end of the road for Pujara, Rahane
The selectors want Ishan Kishan to resume his red-ball career if he wants to stage a comeback to the Indian side.
There has been an air of uncertainty about Ishan Kishan's future in international cricket, across formats, since being denied a central contract by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) earlier in February this year. He was neither named in any of the Indian squads, including the T20 World Cup, since then, nor was his possible return addressed during Gautam Gambhir's first press conference as the head coach of the men's team. However, Ishan is all set to receive a golden opportunity to stage a comeback to the Indian side ahead of the selection meeting for the Bangladesh Test series next month.
According to a report in Cricbuzz earlier this month, Ishan, who was sidelined for opting out of the Ranji Trophy last year, made himself available for the upcoming domestic season after being counselled by national selectors, and has already been included in the list of 25 pre-season probables by the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA). The development came weeks after BCCI secretary Jay Shah reiterated that all available players should play for their respective states, including India probables when not on national duty.
News 18 later reported that the wicketkeeper-batter will play for Jharkhand in the Buchi Babu invitational tournament, which begins on August 15 in Chennai.
However, a fresh report in the Indian Express on Monday indicated that the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee is likely to pick Ishan for the Duleep Trophy, which will begin on September 5 and end on the 24th. The domestic tournament, which will also feature the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and other India regulars, will play a key role when the selectors sit to pick the 15-member squad for the Test series against Bangladesh, which will begin on September 19.
The report added that the selectors want Ishan to resume his red-ball career if he wants to stage a comeback to the Indian side.
Earlier, Shreyas Iyer, who was also denied a contract like Ishan on similar grounds, made a return to the Indian team during the ODI series against Sri Lanka earlier this month.
End of the road for Chetesjwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane
It may have long been indicated that Pujara and Rahane will no longer be in reckoning for a place in the Indian squad, and it was further established on Monday after the Indian Express report added that the selectors won't consider the two veteran batters for the Duleep Trophy. While Pujara was among the top run-getters in the Ranji Trophy last season, an out-of-form Rahane led Mumbai to a title win. However, the selectors are more keen on giving Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel opportunities to fill their shoes.
