India head coach Rahul Dravid straightforwardly stated that Ishan Kishan won’t return to the side immediately as the 25-year-old isn’t prepared.
Team India staged a remarkable comeback in the Test series against England, defeating them by 106 runs in Visakhapatnam and leveling the 5-match series 1-1. While Virat Kohli pulled out for personal reasons, likely becoming a father, the absence of Ishan Kishan, who also missed the South Africa Tests, raises concerns.
The reason behind Kishan’s unavailability remains unclear, creating anticipation and speculation about his status for the upcoming matches.
Rahul Dravid, in a post-Visakhapatnam Test press conference, addressed questions about Ishan Kishan’s return for the next game in Rajkot. Dravid mentioned that the management is in contact with Kishan, emphasizing that he won’t be back immediately as the 25-year-old is not ready.
“I just don’t want to go on laboring about the Ishan Kishan point. I try to explain this as best as I can. You know, the point was, he requested a break and we were happy to give him the break. And whenever he was ready, I didn’t say he had to play domestic cricket. I said, whenever he is ready, he needs to play some cricket and come back and the choice is right, not forcing him to do anything, said Dravid.
“We’re in touch with him. But he hasn’t yet started playing right. So it’s not at the moment. It’s not something that we would consider, because he’s maybe not ready. He will decide when he wants to be ready. I’m sure the selectors will assess all the options,” he added.
Having made himself unavailable for Team India, Kishan also opted out of the ongoing Ranji Trophy and remained absent from the 3-match T20I series against Afghanistan after withdrawing from the South Africa Tests due to mental fatigue. His continued absence raises questions about his return to competitive cricket.
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Last Updated on February 5, 2024
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