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Ishan Kishan breaks silence after being excluded from India's Asia Cup squad
Ishan said that it is a positive thing for him as it will push him to work hard and score more runs to make his way back into the side.
He may not be a part of India's squad for the upcoming Asia Cup but wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan is confident of making his way back into the side. The young stumper was absent from the 15-member squad announced for the competition earlier this week. Led by Rohit Sharma, India begin their campaign with a mouth-watering clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on August 28.
Ishan's last game in the 20-over format was against West Indies, where he scored 11 off 13 deliveries. Thus far in 2022, he has put on a consistent show with the bat, being India's second highest-run scorer in T20 cricket with 430 runs at an average of 30.71. The left-handed batter has notched up three half-centuries with a best individual score of 89.
The 24-year-old said that the Asia Cup snub will push him to work hard and score more runs. He remains “positive” despite the omission, which came as a surprise to many fans.
"I feel that what selectors do is fair. They put a lot of thought while selecting players as to who should be given the opportunity and where. It is a positive for me because if I am not selected, I will work harder and score more runs. When selectors will have confidence in me, they will obviously keep me in the team," Ishan told news agency ANI.
Ishan, who was bought for a whopping ₹15.5 crore at the IPL mega auction earlier this year, saw a mediocre season with Mumbai Indians. In 14 innings, he scored 418 runs at an average of 32.15 including three half-centuries, even though the five-time IPL champions finished at the bottom of the points table.
While Ishan was excluded from the Asia Cup squad, KL Rahul came in after a long injury break. The batter has missed competitive cricket since the IPL edition in May. Rahul underwent surgery for a hernia and was scheduled to play in the West Indies. But he was ruled out of the series after testing positive for Covid-19.
The Asia Cup will also see Virat Kohli's return after a brief break, while Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the competition because of a back injury. Harshal Patel will also miss the continental tournament in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
India, Pakistan and a qualifier will contest Group A in the Asia Cup. Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh are in Group B. The first and second placed teams from each group will qualify for a Super 4 series, which is a round-robin to determine the two sides to meet in the final on September 11.
