'Looking Beyond Ishan Kishan In T20 World Cup 2024' - BCCI Plans To Move On From MI Star
Ishan Kishan (Twitter)
Ishan Kishan was one of the major absentees from India's T20I squad announced on Sunday (January 7) for the series against Afghanistan as the selectors brought back veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the scheme of things ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
The earnest wicketkeeper-batter from Jharkhand remains on a break for "personal reasons" and hasn't played in any format for India since the five-match home T20I series against Australia back in November-December.
Kishan travelled through the early part of the tour of South Africa without getting a game and then opted out of the Test series to reportedly rejuvenate on the mental health front, having been a constant traveller with the Indian side without finding much time in the middle.
However, now it has emerged that the Mumbai Indians (MI) cricketer could be ignored for the T20I format entirely in the coming months, which effectively sidelines him from June's T20 World Cup in West Indies & USA.
Kishan To Be Ignored In T20 World Cup 2024
According to a report in the PTI, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel has already decided they will be "looking beyond Ishan," who has played 32 T20Is for India, in terms of wicketkeeping options in the times to come. A source within the BCCI privy to the developments told PTI that the selectors would be ignoring the Jharkhand batter for the shortest format and focusing on others.
The claim emerges as a shocker since Kishan was gradually becoming key with his left-hand presence in India's middle-order as shown during the T20I series against Australia, where he struck two half-centuries before being rested for Jitesh Sharma.
Vidarbha's Sharma is one of the two wicketkeepers in the T20I squad for the Afghanistan series, alongside comeback man Sanju Samson. The selectors will also deliberate on the option of KL Rahul as a wicketkeeper-batter in the middle after the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper decided to demote himself in the order ahead of IPL 2024, where Rishabh Pant will also be making a comeback.
"Ishan wasn't happy that he was travelling without much game time. He is on a break right now and is vacationing. In any case, selectors are in all likelihood are looking beyond Kishan. It will be interesting if he is picked for the England Test series where KS Bharat will be back behind the stumps," the BCCI source told PTI.
It remains to be seen if Kishan will be included in the Test squad for the upcoming five-match series against England. The unfortunate cricketer will have to contest with Rahul and KS Bharat for the wicketkeeper's slot in the format in a wicketkeeping competition that will only intensify when Pant returns.
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