Ishan Kishan continues to defy Rahul Dravid, won't play Ranji Trophy; trains with Hardik and Krunal Pandya: Report

Ishan Kishan has not played for India since the T20I series against Australia in November 2023. He won't feature in Ranji Trophy, as advised by coach Dravid.

Team India's young wicketkeeper-batter, Ishan Kishan, is currently away from cricket action as he took a break, reportedly due to mental fatigue. Ishan hasn't appeared for the team since the T20I series against Australia in November 2023; he left the subsequent South Africa tour mid-way, expressing his unavailability for the Test series against the Proteas.

Since then, Ishan has missed the T20I series against Afghanistan and the home Tests against England. Last month, Team India's head coach Rahul Dravid stated that Ishan could come back into the side after playing in domestic cricket but deviated from the statement following the second Test against England in Visakhapatnam earlier this week.

“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,” Dravid had said in the post-match press conference.

Cricbuzz has now reported that Ishan Kishan Kishan was spotted ‘working out and practising’ in Baroda. According to the report, the 25-year-old has been based in the city for the past few weeks, utilising the facilities at the Reliance Stadium as he aims to make a comeback to the international setup.

Despite the return to training, there is uncertainty regarding when he plans to resume competitive action.

The report further mentions that Ishan has been in the company of the Pandya brothers – Hardik and Krunal – at the training facility in Baroda. Hardik will reunite with Ishan as he made a return to the Mumbai Indians in November in a high-profile transfer from the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League. In early December, Hardik was also named the captain of the franchise, replacing Rohit Sharma.

Ishan Kishan will continue to miss Ranji Trophy

Ishan won't be participating in Jharkhand's upcoming Ranji Trophy match against Haryana in Jamshedpur starting February 9. The report mentions that Ishan's continued absence has sparked discussions over its potential implications on his BCCI central contract. Currently positioned in Grade C, Ishan receives an annual retainership of INR 1 crore.

In the absence of Ishan – and with KL Rahul not being assigned wicketkeeping duties for the England Tests – KS Bharat took over the role behind the stumps. However, his poor performances with the bat might have allowed the team management to bring in Ishan if the Jharkhand batter had made a return to competitive cricket, but it seems the 25-year-old has missed out on a chance for a red-ball comeback for now.